Fires have burnt almost 1,000 rai of forest on Khao Loi mountain in Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima, which is about 5km away from the boundary of Khao Yai National Park, a world heritage site.
Kittiwat Thiempeng, Chief of Khao Yai Forest Fire Control Station, said on Friday that the locations of the fires are in the Khao Siad Ah Forest Reserve, Khao Nok Yung Forest and Khao Ang Hin Forest, in tambon Phaya Yen.
"The forest fires are about 5km from the boundary of Khao Yai National Park," he said.
Many agencies joined forces to put out forest fires yesterday, including the Nakhon Ratchasima Forest Fire Operations Centre, Khao Yai Forest Fire Control Station, Forest Protection Unit of Pak Chong district, Royal Forest Department, Nakhon Ratchasima Forest Fire Control Promotion Centre, Prachin Buri Forest Fire Control Promotion Centre, and Phaya Yen Tambon Administrative Organisation.
He said the governor of Nakhon Ratchasima and the army commander of the northeastern region are in charge of the situation.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment expects the fires to be under control by today.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra posted on X yesterday that the government instructed all related agencies to urgently put out the forest fires to prevent them from spreading.
The forest fires started on Jan 3, according to the Forest Fire Control Promotion Centre. The centre received a report from the Phayayen Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO) about a forest fire behind Wat Udomsuk. It put out the fire that evening after it had ravaged around 200 rai of the forest. On Jan 5, the centre was alerted to another forest fire.
The combined damage is nearly 1,000 rai of forest, said a source, adding that the cause is believed to be animal poaching.