Pak Chong fires put out after eight-day fight
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Pak Chong fires put out after eight-day fight

Blaze spread by 'wildlife hunters'

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A ranger from Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary fights a fire at Nom Nang Mountain in Si Sawat district. Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary
A ranger from Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary fights a fire at Nom Nang Mountain in Si Sawat district. Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary

The forest fires on Khao Loi mountain in Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima have been put out after eight days of burning. The authorities suspect the cause was a fire set before a wildlife hunt.

Nakhon Ratchasima governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum said various agencies including the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), the Royal Forest Department, and the local administration mobilised officials joined the effort to put out the fires.

Four helicopters also were deployed for aerial water drops over steep terrain. The fire damaged 1,700 rai of forest and was about 5 kilometres from the boundary of Khao Yai National Park, he said.

Mr Chaiwat boarded a helicopter to inspect the area on Saturday. Kris Poonkasem, chief of Nakhon Ratchasima Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, said officers were also sent to inspect the ground. Volunteer police deployed a heat-sensing drone to determine whether residual heat remained. They discovered 2-3 small flames, possibly caused by burning stumps.

Kitti Teawtrakulwat, director of the Forest Fire Control Division of the Royal Forest Department, said the team is still monitoring the situation. "We will check things over the next two days to make sure the fires really have gone out," he said.

The DNP said its rangers found several 0.22 mm bullet casings and wildlife traps at the scene. Officials believed the forest fires were started by a burning operation to round up wildlife for hunting.

The forest fire in Pak Chong was first reported on Jan 3 in a forested area behind Wat Udomsuk in tambon Phaya Yen, which destroyed 200 rai of forest before it was put out that night.

On Jan 5, another forest fire was reported in Ban Hua Krok, also in tambon Phaya Yen. Officials from the Royal Forest Department in Nakhon Ratchasima found forest fires in Khao Siad Ah Forest Reserve, Khao Nok Yung Forest and Khao Ang Hin Forest.

However, officials made only some progress in fighting the fire due to the steep terrain and strong winds.

Two days later, the fire had spread to steep terain, making it impossible for officials to enter the area. The damaged area had grown to 1,000 rai.

On Jan 10, the fire started attacking the mountaintop. Coupled with strong winds, it was hard to control.

A special joint command centre was set up, led by Lt Gen Boonsin Phadklang, Commander of the 2nd Army Area and Nakhon Ratchasima governor.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment sent two helicopters to drop water on the cliffs and mountaintops on Friday, which reduced the heat and slowed down the spread of the fire.

On Saturday, two more helicopters from the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and the Royal Thai Army were sent. The Forest Fire Control Division under the DNP reported the fires had been extinguished by Sunday.

Meanwhile, a forest fire broke out in Kanchanaburi's Si Sawat district on Friday, damaging about 10 rai of forest on Nom Nang mountain, said Paitoon Intarabut, chief of the Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary.

More than 50 officials from the Huai Sadong Forest Protection Unit fought the blaze while many wild animals were spotted escaping the fire. It took officers more than five hours to bring the blaze under control.

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