The recent forest fires in Victoria state, Australia have shown the world just how severe forest fires can be, in the S.E state temperatures have soared to nearly 50 degrees causing the tinder box forests surrounding Melbourne to ignite into ferocious fireballs destroying everything in their path, including the lives of nearly 200 people. Such tragic circumstances, have quite rightly gripped the attention of the global media- 24hr coverage of the Australian Bush fires and the fight to try and extinguish them has given the world a whole new perspective on the challenges posed by fire. However, it is worth noting that other countries, although maybe less ferocious, are also in the grip of a fire burning season too. Northern Thailand being no exception, presently it is the dry season and with a lack of rain and rising temperatures the conditions for fire burning couldn’t be more appropriate. 

The region in which I’m undertaking my research - Exploring the reasons and consequences of deliberate fire burning during the dry season in a district of Thailand so as to prevent/minimise the amount of fires occurring in the region -

 is called Mae-On, which is located 30km due East of the Northern Thai City of Chiang Mai. The average altitude is 400m and the forest type is dry deciduous (Trees which drop there leaves during the dry season so as to retain water) a natural occurrence that is a necessity, but also in terms of fire, a hindrance. When leaf mould falls from the trees it becomes an instant fire hazard as the leaves tend to be dry and easy to ignite. If left in their natural state the leaves would naturally rot back into the soil and replenish the soil in the form of mulch. However, from my recent observations and interviews with the locals, farmers don’t see it in the same way and prefer to clear such areas to keep the area tidy and controlled and therefore the fastest and cheapest way to clear such leaf cover is to burn it.

For the last week this is the main type of burning that has been taking place, to the point where by large expanses of blackened scorched earth leading out from the roadsides becomes the norm.  Unfortunately, although cheap and fast, such burning is actually detrimental to the soil quality as studies in the local area have shown that frequent fires reduce both density and species richness of the tree seedlings community. Fire also burns off soil organic matter, which in turn reduces the soil’s moisture retention capacity.

  As well as roadside Fires I have also witnessed the burning of agricultural crops, particularly Rice Paddy Fields. I am told that this is due to the fact that by burning the crop, ash left over from the burn nourishes the field and prepares the soil for the planting season. However, burning such crops is actually detrimental to the soil as it reduces key soil nutrients such as potassium, calcium and magnesium as these are lost as fine particles in the smoke, whilst nitrogen, phosphorous and sulphur are lost as gases.

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Therefore, having witnessed first hand the destructive fire in Thailand as well as viewed, from a safer distance, the Australian Bush fires, I feel that there needs to be a stronger sense of urgency to prevent fires from taking place in Thailand. At present Thailand’s fires are due to traditional agricultural practices, practices which take along time to change. Coupled with this is the fact that the local authorities have poor resources-lack of law enforcement and public awareness- all of which leads to fire prevention being tackled, at best, with a lack-lusture response and at worse tolerated. 

The devastating impact of Australia’s recent fires should come as a wakeup call to Thailand and other countries that are grappling with the issue of fire. Given the potential threat of Climate Change and rising temperatures it may only be a matter of time before Thailand and other S.E Asian countries practicing fire burning, are having to fend off their own unexpected and uncontrollable blazes similar to those experienced Down Under in recent days.