A bright orange plane races over the forest to dump water on a raging fire, which is choking Thailand’s north tourist hotspot of Chiang Mai, adding to the atmosphere pollution.
Chutaphorn Phuangchingngam, the single female captain in Thailand’s federal disaster protection team, uses 20 years of aviation experience to maneuver the Russian-made helicopter through the thick fumes.
Northern Thailand’s diverse forest fires are a major contributor to the yearly rise in air pollution caused by farmers burning stubble to make their property for the upcoming produce.
According to IQAir’s monitor IQAir, Chiang Mai had the sixth worst air quality of any major city in the world on Thursday ( Mar 27 ). The city governor has since advised residents against staying outside.
According to Chutaphorn, helicopters are the best tool to fight blazes because of the thick bush and rugged terrain.
” We use ( helicopters ) to put out fire in areas that are difficult to access, especially in the mountains,” she said.
More than 1.6ha of the team, including Chutaphorn and her six-member staff, flew over Huai Bok pond, collecting 3, 000 litres of water each day before heading 2 km to the fire area.
Northeastern Thailand is the latest area to experience major wildfires, joining Japan and California as well as South Korea, which is now experiencing its biggest wildfire outbreak ever.
Although forest fires can be complicated, climate change may increase their frequency by making the wind drier and hotter, making undergrowth more susceptible to catching light.
The burns are also causing harm to significant forests in Thailand, which causes millions of people to need medical care each month.