Where there’s fire, there’s smoke – Lampang mountains

Adding to the air pollution woes of the north, bushfires have been keeping state firefighters and volunteers busy trying to control the outbreaks in the mountains east of Chiang Mai and north of Lampang.

The efforts yesterday were to battle a front of multiple fires in Doi Phra Baht forest in Lampang’s Muang district.

Fires have been erupting in multiple locations since March 3 and have spread quickly in the hot, dry conditions through the mountainous area, despite strong efforts to control and extinguish them.

Officials from provincial fire control units have been joined by volunteers, soldiers and local administrative officials in a 24/7 battle against the fires, with the help of a helicopter from the Natural Resource and Environment Ministry.

The fire situation remains serious on the hillsides behind City Hall, Huai Tart area, Doi 757-Kiew Prajao area, Doi Farang, the Huai Jamlot-Huai Phadan area, Doi Huai Deua, Doi Huai Luang and the hill behind a television signal repeater station.

The Chiang Mai-based Pha Mueang military task force are also bringing another MI 17-model helicopter, with a 3,500 litre per trip capacity, to aid the ongoing fire-fighting mission.

Air quality in the northern provinces has continued to be poor, particularly around the fire hot zones.

But air quality readings at four stations in Chiang Mai – which had previously been hit with high PM2.5 levels – were “good” and “very good” with levels at 19mcg to 37mcg on Tuesday.

Air quality around the Nan and Lampang firezones continues to be poor as of midday Wednesday.