Fires in Thailand
20 March 2014
This image taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASAs Aqua satellite on 18 March 2014, shows fires burning largely in the subtropical forests in northern Indochina. Most fires in this region are deliberately set for a variety of reasons, including slash and burn agriculture. When a plot of land becomes exhausted, farmers shift cultivation to another plot where they cut the trees and brush at the beginning of the dry season in January and February. Once the dead plant material has dried, they set fire to it. Such fires peak in March and April.
Recent Media Reports on fires in South East Asia: Note: The hyperlinks on the left side of each news are password-protected (User ID and password to enter the GFMC database are available for partners of GFMC. To obtain the ID and password, please send your query to fire@fire.uni-freiburg.de). The links on the right side (in brackets) are leading to the original news source; sometimes these news are expiring rather swiftly – a reason for the establishment of the internal GFMC database):
- Thailand: Chiang Mai haze worst level for year; Lampang sees 40 degrees Celsius (published by http://thainews.prd.go.th 20 March 2014)
- India: Vast tracts of Palakkad forests perish in fire (published by www.thehindu.com 19 March 2014)
- India: Forest fire puts Tirumala temple officials on high alert (published by www.business-standard.com 19 March 2014)
- Thailand: Chiang Mai haze situation remains critical; 16,000 admitted to hospital (published by http://thainews.prd.go.th 19 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Haze shouldnt burden new president (published by www.thejakartapost.com 18 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Yudhoyono orders an end to haze in 3 weeks (published by www.asianewsnet.net 18 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Continuing Haze Shuts Down Oil Wells Across Riau (published by www.thejakartaglobe.com 17 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Welcome to Malaysia, land of the haze! (published by www.malaysiakini.com 17 March 2014)
- Vietnam: Quang Nams people sets protective forest on fire to grow acacia17 March 2014 (published by http://english.vietnamnet.vn 17 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Yudhoyono concerned, calls on legal action against forest arsonists (published by www.asianewsnet.net 17 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Haze blamed for ill health (published by www.nst.com.my 17 March 2014)
- India: Forest Plus to Tackle Wild Fires (published by www.newindianexpress.com 16 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Shoot-on-site order issued for haze offenders in Riau (published by www.thejakartapost.com 16 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Schools closed due to haze to reopen tomorrow (published by www.thesundaily.my 16 March 2014)
- India: Satellite imagery to be used to assess Bandipur forest fire damage (published by www.thehindu.com 16 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Residents cry foul over peat fire (published by www.nst.com.my 15 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Indonesian president takes lead in fight vs Sumatra forest fires (published by www.interaksyon.com 15 March 2014)
- Thailand: Chiang Mai air quality health threat (published by www.bangkokpost.com 14 March 2014)
- India: Indonesian president takes lead in fight vs Sumatra forest fires (published by www.deccanherald.com 14 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Haze blankets Sumatra, hampers search (published by https://my.news.yahoo.com 14 March 2014)
- Indonesia: April Suspends Forest Operation To Fight Sumatra Fires (published by www.bernama.com 14 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Indonesia’s proposed peat law too weak to protect peatlands, stop haze, says Greenpeace (published by http://news.mongabay.com 14 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Hot spell, peat fires and open burning raise air pollutant index (published by www.thestar.com.my 14 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Fires in Indonesia spike to highest levels since June 2013 haze emergency (published by www.eco-business.com 14 March 2014)
- India: Major forest fire in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve (published by www.thehindu.com 14 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Bush, peat fires trigger haze in Pahang (published by www.nst.com.my 13 March 2014)
- Vietnam: Ca Mau tries to prevent forest fires (published by http://english.vietnamnet.vn 13 March 2014)
- Indonesia: 38 named suspects for causing forests fires in Riau (published by www.thejakartapost.com 13 March 2014)
- ASEAN: Singaporean Scientists: Haze Also Harms The Oceans (published by www.asianscientist.com 12 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Haze worsens in Indonesia’s Riau province: official (published by www.shanghaidaily.com 11 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Forest fire suspects must be immediately handled: President (published by www.antaranews.com 10 March 2014)
- ASEAN: Supporting Singapores haze cause (published by www.thejakartapost.com 10 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Does haze from burning forests affect marine life? (published by http://news.mongabay.com 10 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Forest fires disrupt Indonesian flights (published by http://atwonline.com 10 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Choking haze over Sumatra claims two lives (published by www.straitstimes.com 10 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Peat fire may cause Jalan Kuantan-Pekan to closed again (published by www.nst.com.my 10 March 2014)
- China: Residents, firefighters put out Southwest China forest fire (published by www.globaltimes.cn 09 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Stricter land certification needed in Riau (published by www.thejakartapost.com 08 March 2014)
- Malaysia: More staff needed to fight forest fires (published by www.nst.com.my 08 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Fire Fighters Battle Fires Causing Indonesia Haze Days Again (published by www.establishmentpost.com 08 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Schools in state to close if haze worsens (published by http://my.news.yahoo.com 07 March 2014)
- ASEAN: Thick haze also caused by forest fires in Malaysia, says BNPB (published by www.thejakartapost.com 06 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Riau prepares for worst-case scenario (published by www.thejakartapost.com 06 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Indonesia Forest Fire Approaches Residential Area, Adds to Haze (published by www.ntd.tv 06 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Forest fires and haze have cost Riau US$86m (published by www.asianewsnet.net 05 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Tourists stay on despite haze (published by www.nst.com.my 05 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Increased threat of forest fires (published by www.thesundaily.my 04 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Air quality in Kuala Lumpur plummets amid forest fires (publishedby www.scmp.com 04 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Hot spell could cause more bush and peat fires in Pekan (published by www.nst.com.my 04 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Companies investigated over forest fires in Riau (published by www.thejakartapost.com 04 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Smog leaves 30,000 ill in Indonesias Sumatra island (published by www.news.com.au 04 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Indonesia closer to ratifying ASEAN trans-boundary haze treaty (published by www.channelnewsasia.com 03 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Malaysia starts cloud seeding to tackle drought (published by www.channelnewsasia.com 03 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Heat and haze affecting health (published by www.thesundaily.my 03 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Fire and Rescue dept not affected by rationing (published by www.nst.com.my 03 March 2014)
- Indonesia: Govt Turns to Water Bombers as Riau Fires Continue (published by www.thejakartaglobe.com 02 March 2014)
- Malaysia: Runner: Using seawater to douse forest fires can harm the trees (published by www.thestar.com.my 02 March 2014)
- India: Authorities step up vigil against forest fires in Bandipur reserve (published by www.thehindu.com 01 March 2014)
- Thailand: 31 pollution hotspots identified (published by www.bangkokpost.com 01 March 2014)
- Indonesia: NASA photo reveals ongoing haze problem in Sumatra (published by www.antaranews.com 01 March 2014)
More reports see GFMC Media page: https://gfmc.online/media-highlights-on-fire-policies-and-politics.html
