BANGKOK, Thailand – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin has ordered the immediate deployment of aircraft to support wildfire suppression at the Sakaerat Environmental Research Station in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, with firefighting flights continuing to contain the situation.
The Deputy Prime Minister called for immediate action following the forest fire in the Sakaerat area. He instructed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to organize aerial operations to control the fire and minimize damage as quickly as possible.
The Ministry, in coordination with relevant agencies, held an operational planning meeting at the incident command center at Udom Sap Subdistrict, Wang Nam Khiao District, with Deputy Governor Vichit Kitvirat serving as the incident commander.
An aerial team assisted provincial executives and partner agencies with a reconnaissance flight to assess the wildfire. The survey identified an extended fire line in a dry dipterocarp forest, where accumulated bamboo grass fuel contributed to rapid spread. The province then requested aircraft for water drops. Aircraft completed 10 water-bombing flights, successfully suppressing parts of the fire and reducing its intensity.
Operations are scheduled to resume on February 14, 2026, starting with another reconnaissance flight to support ongoing planning and response until the situation is fully resolved.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the importance of close inter-agency coordination and ongoing monitoring to protect natural resources and minimize impacts on local communities. (NNT)
