Soldiers on forest-fire frontline in North

[webfact]

Soldiers on forest-fire frontline in North

By Nisanart Kangwalwong 
The Nation

 

 

Thai soldiers’ enemy of the moment is forest fires, which they’re battling in Lamphun and Chiang Mai with shovel-wielding troops and a pair of MI17 helicopters that earlier helped douse fires in Lampang.

 

The woodland blazes are worsening haze across the North and Northeast, with many provinces reporting unsafe levels of PM2.5 dust particles 2.5 microns or less in diameter. 

 

The Third Army Region’s special front command for haze control, operating in nine northern provinces, is among efforts involving a slew of agencies.

 

The Pollution Control Department, which has set 50 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre of air as the safe limit, on Wednesday morning reported a range of 28-64 micrograms in the North.

 

Above the safe limit were the tambons of Mae Pa in Tak (at 52 micrograms), Wiang in Muang Phayao (62), Phra Baht in Muang Lampang (52) and Ban Klang in Muang Lamphun (64). 

 

 

In Muang Chiang Mai, the tambons of Chang Pheuk (58) and Sri Phum (53) were at risk, and Chang Kerng in Mae Chaem district was also at 53.

 

Third Army Region deputy commander Major General Bancha Suriyapan used the Line application to deploy troops for fire-fighting operations.

 

The VIIRS satellite snapped a photo from space at 1.06am on Wednesday showing 73 forest-fire hot spots in the North. 

 

There were 20 in Lampang, 17 in Nan, 11 in Lamphun, nine in Chiang Mai, eight in Phayao, five in Tak and three in Mae Hong Son.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30364443

 

 -- © Copyright The Nation 2019-02-20

[RotMahKid]

I don't know how they get the pm 2.5 numbers, but I have a pm 2.5 meter and it showed 90 inside the house in Muang Lampang this morning when I had the doors open for a while and outside there was a lot of haze.

My pm 2.5 filter is on 24/7 nowadays and I even put extra filter on the airco ( using in fan made ) and that helps a lot and bring the level down fast.

It is now much more then the days before.

http://aqicn.org/city/thailand/lampang-meteorological-station/

 

Edited February 20, 2019 by RotMahKid

[tompelli]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

 

The Third Army Region’s special front command for haze control, operating in nine northern provinces, is among efforts involving a slew of agencies.

I can see another medal ribbon for that one.

 

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Third Army Region deputy commander Major General Bancha Suriyapan used the Line application to deploy troops for fire-fighting operations.

Thailand isn't worried about Huawei, we're using Line, smiley emoticon. Doesn't the military have a proper communications system??

[fantom]

 

I agree RotMahKid

 

The above at 11.55 this morning. Earlier there were readings from the station at the Sarapee Hospital exceeding 300.

It is about time that there is some scientific rigour about the way the information is promulgated by the 'Pollution Control department,' I have absolutely no idea where they have plucked their figures from (The Pollution Control Department, which has set 50 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre of air as the safe limit, on Wednesday morning reported a range of 28-64 micrograms in the North.) as they bear no relation to the AQI readings. 

 

Maybe time they were renamed the 'Pollution Information Control Department.'