20160509 Thailand Narathiwat fires remain out of control
Thailand May 09 2016 “Forest”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Narathiwat fires remain out of control
Updated: 2016-05-09-18:38
[Left]A helicopter brings water to support fire fighting in Ban Lubo Sama village of Sungai Kolok district, Narathiwat, on Monday.
[Right]Fire keeps burning in a forest in Yi-ngo district, Narathiwat, on Monday.
Strong winds are fanning fires blazing through around 2,000 rai of forests and farmland in five districts of Narathiwat and frustrating fire fighters’ best efforts.
Narathiwat governor Sitthichai Sakda said on Monday that the fires broke out in nine locations in five districts — Bacho, Muang, Sungai Kolok, Sungai Padi and Yi-ngo.
In Sungai Kolok, the fires were burning in Ban Sarayor and Ban Lubo Sama villages of tambon Pasaymas.
They covered 850 rai, of which 650 rai were forested areas and rubber plantations. The remaining 200 rai were in To Daeng, Thailand’s last pristine peat swamp forest. Strong winds brought flames across firebreaks.
Three wildfire spots were in Sungai Padi district. The Bang Nara forest reserve lost about 650 rai in Ban Lubo Batu and Ban Khlong Chang villages. The fire also burnt 150 rai of people’s farmland and an adjacent forest of the Narathiwat Animal Nutrition Research and Development Center in Ban Mai village.
In tambon Bareh Tai of Bacho district, about 100 rai of a privately owned peat swamp forest and an adjacent palm plantation were destroyed.
Two spots were reported in Yi-ngo district. Burnt were about 250 rai of forested areas and a palm plantation of local residents and the Bacho cooperative in tambon Taporyoh and tambon Lubo Buesa.
The flames that continued in the four districts for days could not be put out due to underground fire and strong winds, governor Sitthichai said.
One hot spot in Muang Narathiwat district happened lately in a peat swamp forest in the compound of Muang Narahiwat municipality. The fire covered only about two rai of land and was completely extinguished.
The Narathiwat governor said there was smoke haze in Sungai Kolok and Sungai Padi districts but the weather condition was not critical. Rainmaking continued but strong winds sent rain away from the hot spots.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said in Bangkok on Monday that the forest fires in Narathiwat and also were caused by forest product collectors who resorted to the old way of searching by starting a fire. “A single match could create such widespread damage,” he said.
Solutions had to cover public education and poverty reduction, he said.
Web Source: Bangkok Post
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/965557/narathiwat-fires-remain-out-of-control