CHIANG MAI is facing a forest fire crisis after continuous surge in hotspots with as many as 99 detected yesterday morning alone (March 29) as police track down arsonists, TV Channel 7 said last night.
This northern province’s Governor Rattapol Naradisorn rushed to Chiang Dao district to closely monitor the forest fire crisis with these hotspots mostly appearing in protected forest areas in Ping Khong, Muang Na, and Thung Khao Phuang subdistricts.
Chiang Dao Village Headmen and Chiefs District Association said they have spotted an unusual pattern with these forest fires often erupting early in the evening on steep slopes, clearly suggesting deliberate arson. The province has decisively stepped up law enforcement measures since issuing a ban on burning and arrested five suspects.
Rattapol ordered officials to immediately treat villagers affected by these fires and educate them through broadcasts by loudspeakers morning and evening on the long-term impact of wildfires.
On Wednesday April 1 planes from the Royal Rainmaking and Agriculture Aviation Department will be undertaking cloud-seeding flights to disperse smoke and haze from the area.
CAPTION:
A forest fire at Chiang Mai’s Doi Suthep-Pui National Park in April last year. File photo – MNG Online
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