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Warnings issued as fire razes Chinese cemetery in Phuket Town

Warnings issued as fire razes Chinese cemetery in Phuket Town

PHUKET: Firefighters have repeated their call for people to report any wildfires by calling the 199 emergency hotline after dousing two fires, one in Chalong and the other at the Chinese cemetery at the foot of Khao Rang in Phuket Town.

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By The Phuket News

Saturday 10 February 2024 10:23 AM


 

In both cases no reasons were given as to the causes of the fires.

Firefighters from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation branch at Phuket City Municipality were called to the fire at Khao Rang at 4:45pm on Thursday (Feb 8).

A fire team was dispatched to the scene and soon had the fire under control, preventing the flames from spreading further.

One firefighter noted that dry grass brought on by dry conditions had fuelled the fire.

Earlier on Thursday, at about 1:20pm, DDPM officers from Chalong Municipality were called to a wildfire in Soi Thanuthep, in Chalong 

Again, the firefighters soon had the flames under control, but warned local residents of burning off dry vegetation. Photos from the scene suggest that one of the local residents was burning branches or something similar, and in the process the fire got out of control.

As the dry season continues, local residents have been advised to refrain from activities that could spark uncontrollable fires, such as burning garbage or carelessly discarding lit cigarettes. As the Chinese New Year celebrations unfold, the importance of caution was emphasised even further.

Measures like creating fire protection lines and ensuring candles and incense sticks were fully extinguished were recommended to safeguard against potential blazes.

The national DDPM head branch has urged people to be careful in observing Chinese New Year traditions. People have ben asked to not leave lit candles and incense sticks unattended, and to conduct ritual burning of gilded paper only in fireproof containers, and to not use firecrackers in areas where there is a high risk of fire.