MAE HONG SON - A fire broke out at a forest under a royal project near the Ban Huay Dua sericulture centre in tambon Pha Bong of Muang district in this northern border province on Tuesday afternoon, local media reported.
With help from village defence volunteers and villagers, the wildfire-fighting team at Ban Huay Dua was able to put out the fire in 30 minutes.
Villagers believed the fire was started by some people seeking to clear land for cultivation. This was the first time it happened to a forest under a royal project.
There were no reports of damage or casualties.
Forest fires have recently occurred in many localities all over the province. Haze and smoke from these hotspots have caused widespread air pollution.
The Pollution Control Department on Tuesday reported that the PM10 (particulate matter less than 10 microns) level in tambon Chong Kham in Mae Hong Son's Muang district was 160 microgrammes per cubic metre, compared to the safe limit of 120 microgrammes.
Somsak Sappakosolkul, chief of the natural resources and environment office of Mae Hong Son, said most of the staff of the Royal Forest Department's wildfire teams are local hires who do not get a subsistence allowance.
It would help if people in the tourism-related businesses could provide these firefighting teams with food supplies, he said.