The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation is going to survey forest areas damaged by fires, in particular Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary in Chiang Mai province where conservationists have expressed concerns over changes in the ecological system caused by the blazes.
Sompoch Maneerat, the department's spokesperson, said the survey will also collect information about the fires' effects on wild animal populations.
"We are making a concerted effort to prevent the fires from spreading into the deeper areas of forest in Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary. We are afraid that if that happens, there will be a severe impact on several kinds of animals, especially gorals whose main habitat is in the sanctuary," he said.
He further explained that such fires are good for certain kinds of forests, like deciduous forests, but not for all kinds, especially evergreen and mixed forests.
Conservationists in the North have pointed the finger at the expansion of mono-crop plantations, especially maize, into the forest zone as the main cause of forest fires and air pollution in the northern region. They are also worried that fires in Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary will cause damage to the flora and fauna that will be impossible to repair.
Prakasit Rawiwan, chief of the sanctuary, said that the fire is now under control and a damage assessment will be carried out as soon as the area is safe, adding that forest patrols will also be undertaken to prevent any further blazes.
Meanwhile, the Pollution Control Department reported that air quality in the North is likely to get better as levels of the hazardous PM2.5 airborne particles continue to fall in many areas.
The levels of PM2.5 were between 45-138 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³), with the highest readings recorded in Chalermprakiat district in Nan province (138), Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai (105) and Muang district in Nan province (95).
PM2.5 in Chiang Mai was measured at between 49-70 µg/m³ as a result of the decreasing number of fires. Currently, there are only five major fires still burning.
Around 8,000 people were deployed to control the blazes in Chiang Mai province.
And as of yesterday, there were 23 fires in national reserved forest zones and 21 in conserved forests across the country.
Thirty-nine of them were already under control.