Thailand’s air pollution centre has asked the Department of National Parks to close eight parks and wildlife sanctuaries in northern provinces to control forest fires.
Department head Pinsak Suraswadi said that the closures will allow give firefighters greater flexibility and to deal with problems in the parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Average PM2.5 levels in the past 24 hours have increased 67%, while the hotspots have doubled overnight.
Forest fires in Thailand annually occur during the dry season from December to May with their peak in February-March. In extremely dry sites, double burning is common. The fires consume surface litter, other loose debris on the forest floor and small vegetation.
The eight parks and wildlife sanctuaries affected are:
- Mae Ping national park at the southern end of the Thanon Thong Chai Range, in Lamphun, Tak, and Chiang Mai Provinces
- Nam Pai…
