A fire broke out in the forest behind the shrine on the Mae Hong Son bypass in Ban Mai Ngae village of Tambon Pang Moo at 7pm, surprising and scaring villagers and motorists. Kampanat Prajongpim, chief of the Mae Sariang forest fire station, said the fires were apparently started by local villagers burning weeds and leaves. Kampanat said his station had to dispatch officials to work with fire fighters of the Forestry Department and troops and fire fighters of the Muang Mae Hong Son Municipality to fight the blazes around Muang district. Tambon Pang Moo and Tambon Pha Pong were the hardest hit by the forest fires. Forest fires in Mae Hong Son intensified after the government lifted a ban on weed burning on April 30.

Source: The Nation Bangkok May 06, 2019 09:22 UTC