On Sunday, the local authorities included three more districts in the list of disaster zones due to ongoing wildfires in the region. The newly added districts are Chiang Dao, Mae Taeng, and Chai Prakarn, joining Fang and Phrao, which were declared disaster areas earlier on April 4.
Nirat Pongsitthavorn, the provincial governor, cited the challenges faced in controlling the fires, with initial firefighters and soldiers experiencing fatigue. More firefighting resources are requested for Chiang Mai, and designating additional disaster zones would enable government agencies to allocate their own funds for fire suppression efforts.
Despite the severe air pollution caused by the wildfires, officially declaring Chiang Mai an emergency assistance zone is hindered by the absence of Ministry of Finance regulations supporting the allocation of funds for this cause.
The Pollution Control Department reported that PM2.5 levels in 36 provinces in the North, including Chiang Mai, exceeded the safe threshold of 37.5 µg/m³. Gistda identified nine provinces with even higher levels, with Chiang Mai recording the worst air quality ranking at 126.1 µg/m³.
According to IQAir, Chiang Mai was rated as having the worst air quality globally when it reached a level of 190 µg/m³ at 2:10 pm. Gistda also detected 1,279 hot spots in the North, including 100 in agricultural areas.
Dr. Piamlap Saengsayan from the Central Chest Institute of Thailand mentioned on Sunday that while PM2.5 might not be a direct cause of lung cancer, prolonged exposure to high pollution levels can lead to the development of cancerous cells across the body. The human body’s response to PM2.5 particles generates free radicals that trigger cellular inflammation, potentially contributing to cancer development.
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