Tak refugee camp ablaze

"We are trying to control the blaze,” Phop Phra district chief Poj Rhuroranan said.
As of press time, there was no report of injuries or deaths. However, the fire was clearly spreading through the forestland in which the camp is located. A number of refugees, young and old, have fled.
“We believe the fire erupted out of dry leaves and dry weather,” Poj said, “But we are going to investigate further to determine its cause”.
Located in a remote corner of Phop Phra district, the Umpiem Refugee Camp called on the help of fire trucks from other areas.
The Umpiem Refugee Camp accommodates more than 15,000 refugees, most of them Karenethnic and Burmese, who have sought refuge at the camp to escape fighting in their homelands.
During the dry season, forest fires often break out in the area. They are blamed for smoke problems and air pollution in many northern provinces.
According to Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Wednesday set up a committee to address the smoke problem from forest fires and fires ignited to burn agricultural waste or clear farmland.
Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit chairs this committee.
In Lampang, the smoke problem clearly worsened yesterday as the local airport turned on lights on its runway during the day to aid the safe landing of aircraft.
“Visibility has been dropping fast,” Lampang weather bureau’s chief Tiwan Phanmaisee said.
He believed the amount of small dust particles, those sized no more than PM10, might have soared past the safe limit of 120 micrograms per cubic metre of air.
In the nearby province of Lamphun, airquality monitoring devices showed readings of 122.29 micrograms per cubic metre of air.
“The situation is worrying,” Lamphun Governor Surachai Khanarsa said.
He said the smoke problem would harm not just people’s health but the province’s tourism and appeal as an investment destination.
Surachai instructed authorities to strictly enforce measures to prevent forest fires.