Chiang Mai Province has brought its annual fire ban forward this year to combat increased smog levels as well as prosecuting its first fire case of the year.
The ban was brought forward by Governor Mr. Charoenrit Sanguansat on Friday with the ban now in place in all 25 districts through to April 30.
The Governor noted in his statement that early burning combined with cold weather and ongoing high-pressure systems were contributing to smog being captured in the province. Chiang Mai One notes that this is the textbook definition of an inversion layer.
The ban includes any open-air burning of any sort with fines of up to 25,000 baht and/or three months in prison.
It took next to no time post the fire ban coming in for authorities to find their first fire. A fire spotted yesterday, Jan. 12 on a field behind a 7-Eleven in Baan Thanawan in Moo 8 San Phi Suea.
Officials visited the scene where they found somebody burning rubbish. The fire was extinguished the person described as being prosecuted for starting the fire.
The fire ban is all very well and good but the challenge, as it has been in previous years is enforcement. While finding aunties with small fires in the metro area is easy, it’s the forested areas around Chiang Mai where the real work needs to be put in.
Image: Chiang Mai Police
