Phatthalung Peat Swamp Fire Continues For Third Day

[sbk]

Phatthalung peat swamp fire continues for third day

PHATTHALUNG, Aug 16 -- A peat swamp in a botanical protected area forest in the southern province of Phatthalung continued burning into its third day Thursday with some 160 rai (64 acres) burnt.

Wannasak Rungrojwanich, director of the Forest Fire Control Operation Division at Protected Areas Regional Office 6 (Songkhla) led his staff to control the fire that burned in a peat swamp at the Phatthalung Botanical Garden since Tuesday.

The fire destroyed more than 160 rai. The blaze did not intensify and firefighters created firebreaks to prevent the blaze spreading to other areas of the botanic garden.

Mr Wannsak said that he has coordinated with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for reinforcement to battle the fire.

He said today’s operation is expected to contain the fire from spreading to adjacent areas . (MCOT online news)

[tna][/tna]

[samuijimmy]

I visited this area a few months ago, it's an ecologically beautiful area, of plants and trees you don't see else where....

A peat fire, is one of the hardest to control and put out...as it burns underground, it could take months or even years to die out

[timber]

Used to fight forest fires in the United States and Canada. Used to have sites where you went to

every time the indexes got to a certain level and knock back the fires. I think some fires burn forever.

The time, equipment and manpower to put them totally out was awesome.