Thai soldiers rush to put out another forest fire in Nakhon Nayok
Thai soldiers are rushing to put out a forest fire in the central Nakhon Nayok province, after another raging wildfire broke out in the province just last month.
Soldiers and officials have once again sprung into action to combat the latest fire near the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy in Nakhon Nayok province. The blaze was spotted on the mountain slopes behind the academy in the main city district yesterday evening. Officials are scrambling to prevent the flames from spreading, Nation Thailand reported.
Despite the efforts of soldiers and officials, strong winds today deterred their firefighting efforts. Fire engines have been deployed to local communities in an attempt to prevent the flames from spreading further. At this time, there have been no reports of injuries or damage to property.
The recent fire broke out on Khao Tabaek, mountain and follows the massive forest fire that occurred after a lightning strike on neighbouring Khao Laem mountain on March 29. The earlier blaze quickly spread and threatened the outlying buildings of the military academy. A large number of soldiers, firefighters, and volunteers fought the fire for five days before it was finally extinguished on April 3.
During the March 29 fire, strong winds blew the flames to the peak of Khao Laem mountain, which looked like an erupting volcano in photos taken. The mountains are abundant with wildlife and reports said that wild animals have been spotted trying to flee the flames. The Facebook page “this is Nakhon Nayok” posted a photo of an owl that escaped the flames and perched in a tree in the community.
In northern Thailand this year, at least two firefighting volunteers have been killed in fires. On March 31, a forest fire at a Chiang Mai national park tragically killed a firefighting volunteer. The volunteer, 39 year old Wichai Thimakham from Mae Rim district, was found dead in Khun Khan National Park.
On April 4, a firefighting volunteer was tragically caught in the flames while extinguishing a forest fire in Nan province.
