How often does Chiang mai have large wildfires in the city?

 

I ask because of the current fire in Hawaii which caught people by surprise.

 

I would take a guess at once every hundred years but I really don't know... My house is concrete which is good and no wooden houses nearby but lots of trees and bamboo etc (I am on a farm)

12 minutes ago, TravelerEastWest said:

How often does Chiang mai have large wildfires in the city?

 

I ask because of the current fire in Hawaii which caught people by surprise.

 

I would take a guess at once every hundred years but I really don't know... My house is concrete which is good and no wooden houses nearby but lots of trees and bamboo etc (I am on a farm)

A farm in the city?

If you have proper mitigation/clearance between your residence and the trees, you should be OK.

 

 

I would be more worried about flooding. Location or live in a high rise condo

We had a fire in ours though some years back when some frang did a drunk barbecue (not allowed at all)bon his balcony then fell asleep. Fortunately it was contained.

9 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

If you have proper mitigation/clearance between your residence and the trees, you should be OK.

 

 

What would a “proper” clearance be?

Have read several historical articles regarding the city of Chiangmai and have never once read about any wildfire in the city itself.  I've seen some photos of a big fire by and/or involving Kad Luang (Worarot area) which occurred (if my memory is correct) 70-80 years ago but have seen no historical photos or historical notations of other fire issues.  Of course, the city itself was pretty much devastated and leveled by the wars by the time the Burmese were booted out in 1776.

57 minutes ago, roo860 said:

A farm in the city?

Mae Rim hills but in Chiang Mai.

31 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

If you have proper mitigation/clearance between your residence and the trees, you should be OK.

 

 

I have hundreds of trees everywhere it looks like a forest very nice - Concrete house CPAC roof tiles so I thought i was basically safe - just rethinking...

26 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

I would be more worried about flooding. Location or live in a high rise condo

We had a fire in ours though some years back when some frang did a drunk barbecue (not allowed at all)bon his balcony then fell asleep. Fortunately it was contained.

I am on a hill so no flooding but I used to live in the Chang Klan area - wow seems like almost every year flooding.

1 hour ago, roo860 said:

A farm in the city?

City centre is full of concrete too

20 minutes ago, CMBob said:

Have read several historical articles regarding the city of Chiangmai and have never once read about any wildfire in the city itself.  I've seen some photos of a big fire by and/or involving Kad Luang (Worarot area) which occurred (if my memory is correct) 70-80 years ago but have seen no historical photos or historical notations of other fire issues.  Of course, the city itself was pretty much devastated and leveled by the wars by the time the Burmese were booted out in 1776.

Sounds like the area is fairly safe. The fire in Hawaii was in a town with bone dry 200 year old buildings. Chiang Mai is not like that normally...

15 minutes ago, TravelerEastWest said:

Mae Rim hills but in Chiang Mai.

So not in the city, your post said in the city.

16 minutes ago, TravelerEastWest said:

I have hundreds of trees everywhere it looks like a forest very nice - Concrete house CPAC roof tiles so I thought i was basically safe - just rethinking...

As people from Calif, USA can attest to, if caught in an intense wildfire, building material isn't going make a whole lot of difference, safety wise.  Complete loss vs almost complete loss of house/belongings ...maybe.

 

Though from experience, smoke damage is as bad as fire damage, when it comes to usability after the fact.

 

Chiang Mai urban area, not much to worry about, I would think.

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Chiang Mai urban area, not much to worry about, I would think.

Yeh like Lahaina but with much less firefighting equipment or skills

 

Many people who think for themselves find all the wildfires that have spread across the Mediterrannes cost of Europe this summer, rather suspicisous.

 

Not to forget that a suspect arsonist was arrested I think in Greece and another one in France.

 

With all the ecoterrorists all over Europe who block roads to stop cars and pass their environmental anti petrol propaganda, or other ecoterrorists who storm museums and destroy world heritage paintings with paint in the name of their environmental brain washing.....people are wondering if these fires are not part of some sort of coordinated action,  just to dissuade people from flying to those holiday destinations that were set ablaze. Not to mention that spaces burnt down is bare land that can be used to graise animals, build hotels or whatsoever.....so plainly considering climate change ? no way....

 

Not that I am trying to be another doomsday chap, but it does seems fishy on such fires blazing out the forests on basically humid beach towns, when no fires in the other inner land forests that are as dry.

 

As for Thailand, it's usually the farmers burning their waste plainly.....and sometimes the smoke reaches out to Bangkok and makes a public uproar.

4 hours ago, roo860 said:

So not in the city, your post said in the city.

Actually, I didn't say I was in the city you may be thinking about someone else. I did ask about the city but then made it clear I was on a farm with lots of trees. Anyway the point is do we have to be concerned about the general Chiang mai area in terms of fires?

 

I am going to guess maybe not but perhaps once in hundred years? Very recently we had a hail storm with high winds that blew down a heavy front gate and knocked over many trees I am still making repairs...

Lahaina town buildings were wooden, the area surrounding the town is mostly haole koa shrubs, a common invasive species on the south and west sides of the islands, with decades of fuel growth and litter with no natural fires to reduce the fuel density, making the conditions worse just waiting for a good wind to knock down some powerlines. Nothing similar here in Chiangmai city.

18 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

do we have to be concerned about the general Chiang mai area in terms of fires?

 

I am going to guess maybe not

Sure, maybe not - - That would not be on my list of worries - 

1 hour ago, 1FinickyOne said:

Sure, maybe not - - That would not be on my list of worries - 

I agree - I started this thread because a friend from California has been advising me to create clear areas around my house as fire breaks, but my family loves our trees and the shade they provide!

There is stupid and then there is dumb! 

I can't recall to have hear about wildfires in Chiang Mai city.

4 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

I agree - I started this thread because a friend from California has been advising me to create clear areas around my house as fire breaks, but my family loves our trees and the shade they provide!

I understand. A friend of mine from Maine advises me to stock up on warm clothes and firewood.... 

 

please don't cut your beautiful trees. But, if you do, we can use the firewood. 

4 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

because a friend from California has been advising me to create clear areas around my house as fire breaks

Don’t give it much thought. Your friend is inundated with messages from the media day in and day out, so this is probably the only thing he has to discuss with anyone.  

12 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

I understand. A friend of mine from Maine advises me to stock up on warm clothes and firewood.... 

 

please don't cut your beautiful trees. But, if you do, we can use the firewood. 

Actually i have about twenty piles of firewood from cutting back longan trees a year ago they are probably dry now and a small fire hazard...

I lived in the Chiang Mai area for 14 years and I never witnessed a large fire within the city. However, during the hot and dry season, fires did occur in the forests on the mountains surrounding the city, but never extending into the city. More of a problem were the floods during the wet season when the Ping River overflowed causing riverside flooding.

Wildfires need very dry conditions and a good breeze if they are to spread. As for ecoterrorists, forget it. In the UK, back in 1976, we had a very dry spring and summer after a dryish winter, then a heat wave for 2 months. Fires broke out everywhere - sides of motorways looked like chessboards because of so many fires caused by cigarettes - but no fires spread very far. 

 

If you get dry conditions - fires will happen. usually due to careless humans, but lightning can start them. Most fires burn themselves out or are easily controlled. But when all the conditions are right ....

 

It does seem that the last decade or so is seeing a dramatic increase globally in severe fires. Climate is definitely a factor.

 

In Thailand fires are common, many small ones, but never heard of a large, out of control fire.