MAE HONG SON — 22 April 2026, A forest fire came close to spreading into Tha Pong Daeng public park before being brought under control by authorities, officials said, as air pollution in the province remained at hazardous levels.
Kanchit Wongphraya, a forestry officer and head of forest protection units in Muang Mae Hong Son, said the blaze broke out at about 13:40 on 21 April near Ban Sop Pong in Pang Mu subdistrict.
Firefighting teams, including forestry officials, soldiers, local administrators and villagers, were deployed to tackle the blaze, which was contained by 15:40 after burning about 14 rai (around 2.2 hectares) of dry dipterocarp forest.
The affected area borders Tha Pong Daeng public park, land once granted by King Bhumibol Adulyadej as a public recreation area for nearby communities.
Officials said forest fires in Mae Hong Son continue to be caused largely by illegal burning, although the number of hotspots has declined as many areas had already been burned earlier.
The Pollution Control Department reported that 24-hour average PM2.5 levels measured at 7:00 on 22 April reached 105.7 micrograms per cubic metre in Pai district, well above safe standards and posing health risks.
Satellite data from the Suomi NPP system detected 23 hotspots in the province early on Tuesday, indicating a gradual decrease.
However, thick haze continued to blanket Mae Hong Son town, with visibility reduced to about 2 kilometres on Tuesday morning, according to the provincial meteorological office.
