The famous Phu Kradueng mountain in Loei province is suffering from a forestfire disaster. The Royal Thai Army’s Army Region 2 has since 20 February sentin its personnel to help the firefighting operations under close cooperationwith the province. The army is now supporting the construction of firebreaks,requiring heavy machinery to be brought up to the mountain.
Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, has ordered theRoyal Thai Army to provide a MI-17 helicopter to airlift two tractors, onepatrol car, and 25 200-liter fuel barrels from the ground up to the mountaintop.
The airlift is planned for today from a helipad in Phu Kradueng National Park,to the drop off point on the mountaintop.
Officials from the army’s aviation center have surveyed the area and made atechnical analysis to ensure the safety of the operation. They practicedlifting the load using a crane beforehand. Each process must be carefullycalculated and executed to ensure maximum safety, as the exacting operationcarries private vehicles and flammable items./.