Wildfires

Wildfires - Colorado, USA

A wind-whipped wildfire west of Colorado Springs, burning in Park County and Teller County south of Florissant, had spread across more than 1,500 acres in rough terrain Friday afternoon, forcing evacuations of 100 homes and putting others on notice.

Wildfires - Thailand

Thai authorities on Thursday ordered urgent action to stop the spread of a fire that overnight engulfed forests on two mountains in a province northeast of the capital Bangkok. Firefighting vehicles had been deployed to extinguish the blaze, which broke out on Wednesday night in Nakhon Nayok province, 114 kilometres (70 miles) northeast of Bangkok.

Large parts of the north Thailand have been enveloped in a thick layer of toxic smog for days, leading to many inhabitants struggling with health problems. The smoke is due to slash-and-burn agriculture. In the week between March 19 and 26, more than 3,400 people visited hospitals in Chiang Rai alone to be treated for respiratory problems.