Two sub-districts in Tak Bai district of the southern province of Narathiwat have been declared public disaster zones by the provincial governor after multiple forest fires broke out last Friday and continue to rage uncontrollably.
Fires were reported in forest areas in villages 2 and 3 of Prone sub-district last Friday, and in villages 2 and 6 of Bang Khun Thong the following day, according to provincial reports.
Officials from multiple agencies are in the affected villages to contain the fires and help residents stay safe. Meanwhile, the public has been urged not to light fires in open areas.
Thipayarat Thaisri, director of the 6th Conservation Area Administration Office based in Pattani province, said that 12 hotspots were detected in Prone and Bang Khun Thong sub-districts on Sunday, mostly in peat swamp forests, which are difficult to control.
An excavator has been sent into the forest to dig a channel to allow water to flow into the swamp, and firebreaks have been created to prevent the fires from spreading to nearby communities.
A drone has been deployed by officials from Chalerm Phra Kiat Wildlife Sanctuary to survey the fires, helping authorities plan containment efforts.
Three teams of 50 firefighters each have been formed to work around the clock to contain the forest fires.
