Mae Hong Son Area, Serious Forest Fires

Mar 15, 2003
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From Chiang Mai Mail>

Forest fires have cancelled four air flights from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son in the past two days.


Wild fires broke out around Mae Hong Son provincial town, resulting in very thick smoke with poor visibility forcing Nok Air to cancel flights on March 8.

The volume of minute particles continues to rise since the 8th and is nearly at the maximum allowed level, Peerat Ruangsuksai, chief of the Meteorological Station in Mae Hong Son said on March 9, 2011.

Nok Air has cancelled its four flights from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son on March 8, as well as two more flights on March 9 forcing visitors to cancel their plans. Locals complain of burning and itching eyes and officials have measured the air quality with a PM10 level of 110.1 and the Air Quality Index level at 94.0, near the maximum safe level. Above 120 PM10 and 100 AQI officials warn of health hazards.

Wild fires broke out east of Wat Phrathart Doi Kongmu and in the mountainous areas of villages in Tambon Pang Moo and Tambon Huay Pooling, the remoteness of the locations has caused firefighters great difficulty in trying access the fires.

“There are forest fires around Mae Hong Son city, but also in Pai and Pang Mapha (Sapong) districts, as well as along sides of Highway 1095 –Mae Hong Son –Pang Mapha-Pai,” he added.
 

feejer

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Feb 16, 2007
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Sounds very severe this year. I feel bad for people who have no choice but to be out and working in it. I would be indoors with the windows shut and HEPA filter going full bore. I know, what a sissy, but those micro particles get in the lung and don't like to come out. Can lead to emphysema and COPD etc. Better yet, don't be there in Mar-April. Get to the clean air in Bangkok :) if you have a choice.
 
Sep 19, 2006
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"Wild fires broke out" Wow, I wonder how that Happened??? Surely Not a Local with a Lighter or a Box of Matches???
So Far Chiang Mai hasn't been Bad this Year, Still not that Polluted compared to the last Few! Even had some Wind and the odd Rain Shower so keeping things at Bay! Hope it continues as there is only another Month or a little more left before the Rains come!
 
Sep 4, 2007
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Well the news reports sound really bad. However, rode from Inthanon to Mae Chaem, Khun Yuam, arriving in Mae Hong Son at around 14.30. on the 8th, actually saw one Nok air flight landing. Visibility not great but not much actual burning visible and the air seemed fine to breathe. Pleasant evening, left 10.00am in the morning on to Pai. Same story, air was fine, visibility poor. No reason to avoid the areas, unless all you wanted was clear views and photographs of the landscape.
.
 

Jurgen

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Oct 23, 2009
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:( ... I have scheduled a loop there, maybe it is better that I wait till some rain has cleared the air! True that Chiangmai seems quite OK this year.
 
Jun 14, 2009
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A men! The recent cold snap/rainy spell did help keep the smoke down.

I was here three years ago and it was MUCH worse :(
 
Nov 2, 2008
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Billy Baht;266498 wrote: A men! The recent cold snap/rainy spell did help keep the smoke down.

I was here three years ago and it was MUCH worse :(
True, but the breeze from the west appeared to be bringing the haze with it. Noticed a murky bank of air coming over the mountains south of Hang Dong this morning.

Left overs from the forest fires, or just renewed burning?