CHIANG MAI, THAILAND – A record surge of wildfires in northern Thailand blanketed Chiang Mai in hazardous smoke and pushed the province into its most severe fire crisis in years.
Record fires in a single night
The alarming scale of the disaster became clear in the early hours of 29 March 2026. The Thai space agency GISTDA reported at 2:19 a.m. that satellite images from suomi-NPP showed a massive spike in fires.
According to the agency’s analysis, 651 hotspots were detected in Chiang Mai province within just a few hours. Authorities said this was among the highest numbers ever recorded in a single night.
“The situation is critical.”
said a spokesman for the disaster prevention agency.
The smoke over the city grew steadily thicker as the night progressed. Residents struggled to breathe in the acrid haze that has settled over homes, streets and surrounding communities.
Worst-hit districts across the province
The northern district of Chiang Dao was the hardest hit. Satellite data showed 99 separate fires there during the night, nearly one in six of all hotspots in the province.
Samoeng followed with 98 hotspots, closely trailed by Mae Taeng with 73 fires. The districts of Phrao with 65 blazes and Mae Rim with 50 were also heavily affected.
In total, fires were detected in 21 districts across Chiang Mai. The fire front stretched over hundreds of square kilometres of forested hills and agricultural land.
March fire season by the numbers
Since the start of the fire season on 1 March 2026, satellites have registered 2,839 hotspots in Chiang Mai province. The figure underlined the scale of the ongoing disaster.
Compared with the same period in 2025, the overall number was 162 points lower, a decrease of about five percent. Officials and observers, however, said this marginal decline was no reason to sound the all-clear.
The fires continued to rage across large areas and threatened to spread into new zones. Authorities warned that the most critical weeks of the dry season in northern Thailand still lay ahead.
Known causes driving repeated fires
The underlying causes of the annual fire crisis have been documented for years. They included slash-and-burn practices for agriculture, forest fires triggered by negligence and, in some cases, deliberately set fires to clear land for new plantations.
The dry season in northern Thailand provided ideal conditions for the flames. A lack of rain, thick layers of dry leaves and high temperatures turned even small ignition sources into large-scale wildfires.
Environmental groups renewed their criticism of what they called insufficient firefighting efforts.
“We need more personnel, better equipment and tougher penalties for arsonists.”
said environmental activists.
Authorities on high alert
Provincial administrators placed all district offices on high alert as the number of fires climbed. Local authorities were ordered to inspect each hotspot and submit reports by 12:00 p.m. the same day.
Fire crews worked around the clock in an attempt to contain the blazes. The sheer number of fire sites, however, overwhelmed available firefighting teams and resources.
“We cannot be everywhere at the same time.”
said one firefighter. He explained that operations were focused on fires near villages and settlements, where human lives were at greatest risk.
Health impact of choking smoke
The combination of widespread forest fires and already severe air pollution turned Chiang Mai into what many described as an unlivable city. Measurements showed fine particulate PM2.5 levels remained at record highs.
Doctors issued urgent health warnings to residents across the province.
“Leave your house only with a protective mask. Do not ventilate. Avoid physical exertion outdoors.”
said medical professionals.
For many locals, normal daily life had become impossible. Kindergartens and schools stayed closed, while tourists fled the smoke-filled city, abandoning what is usually marketed as the paradise of northern Thailand.
Crucial days ahead
Authorities pinned their hopes on a rapid turnaround in the coming days. Satellite monitoring of new hotspots was intensified, and each fresh fire detection was passed immediately to local teams.
Weather experts, however, saw no short-term relief. Forecasts showed neither significant rainfall nor a clear drop in temperatures, raising fears that the fire front could continue to spread.
For the people of Chiang Mai, officials said only coping strategies remained: enduring the conditions, wearing masks and hoping that the advancing walls of flame could soon be brought under control. The battle to contain the fires was far from over.