Fires have broken out in the Kuan Kreng peat swamp forest, in Cha-uat district of Thailand’s southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. So far, more than 165 hectares of the forest have been destroyed.

Fire fighters are at the scene, but they are still unable to control the fires due to strong winds and rugged terrain.

They have, however, closed the only road to the Kreng Tambon Administrative Organisation and a local community, which produces the bulrush, lepironia articulata dominos, used as a weaving material. Firebreaks have also been built to control the fires, according to local officials.

The Kuan Kren peat swamp forest spans Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung and Songkhla provinces.  It is teeming with marine species and macaque monkeys.

Local people say that they believe that the fires were caused by poachers.