Wildfires ravage Northern Thailand

Wildfires have swept through nearly every district in Lampang province, destroying more than 300 rai of forest land and plunging air quality into unhealthy levels.

Monitoring centers reported a surge in thermal hotspots across the northern region on Sunday, with 78 hotspots detected during the morning session alone. The most significant activity was concentrated in the Mueang and Chae Hom districts.

The fires have gutted significant portions of protected conservation areas, including the Tham Pha Thai National Park. Emergency crews spent over seven hours battling a major blaze in the park that decimated 130 rai before being contained late Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, in the Mae Phrik National Forest Reserve, specialized “Fire Hawk” units and local volunteers scrambled to extinguish multiple fires that destroyed approximately 120 rai across three separate locations.