The FIREPOL team returned to the Omkoi District in Northern Thailand to study fire practices and local livelihoods, particularly in relation to the foraging of hed thob mushrooms. Assisted by our interpreter, Kullathida Krajangkul, and together with our colleague, Chaya Vaddhanaphuti, we also explored the implementation of the Fire-D policy, which recently introduced a fire permit and monitoring system. We interviewed leaders and members of indigenous communities in the highlands across Chiang Mai Province and participated in their daily activities, including preparing firebreaks and collecting red ant eggs.

On February 24th, our Principal Investigator, Professor Lorenza Fontana, delivered a seminar on community theatre at RECOFTC’s headquarters in Bangkok. The seminar presented the Playing with Wildfire theatre experience in Bolivia and explored potential applications of the same methodology in the Lower Mekong region. RECOFTC will also be partnering with FIREPOL on data collection in Asia for the first-ever dataset on fire policy regimes. This joint effort officially kicked off on February 25th with a training workshop.

On February 28th, our researcher Alessandro Tinti participated in a community event on integrated fire management held at Ban Yang Piang Tai in Omkoi. During the event, we discussed fire management approaches for dry dipterocarp forests and took part in firebreak construction for fuel management. Over time, fire management in Omkoi has evolved from unregulated burning to a more structured approach, incorporating both traditional knowledge and scientific research. Controlled burns are now registered and monitored, reducing the risk of uncontrolled wildfires while still allowing communities to maintain their agricultural and ecological practices. We are grateful to Thanakorn Lapeng (Headman of Yang Piang Subdistrict), Preechapol Phooltawee (District Chief of Omkoi), and Niran Namphudin (Northern Sustainable Development Foundation) for the invitation.