The wildfire that scorched a large portion of a popular national park was caused by human activity, authorities announced Tuesday.
The blaze in the Phu Kradueng National Park, which broke out Sunday morning and burned nearly 20 hours before being extinguished early Monday, was sparked by burning by foragers in an area near the park that was then spread by the wind.
Varavuth asked for public cooperation in not lighting fires, especially during the extreme drought conditions gripping much of the country.
Thai space agency Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency revealed satellite images of the park before and after over 3,000 rai (480 hectares) of parkland burned in Loei province.
The information will be used by park officials and and environmental agencies in fire prevention and forest restoration work.
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