Buildings housing a construction unit of the Infantry Battalion IB 65 of Mongton, eastern Shan State, opposite Chiangmai province, was razed to the ground due to a forest fire on Sunday, according to local sources.

The fire started at about 2 pm (Burma standard time) and it could not be extinguished till four buildings and a six wheel truck were burnt, said a local villager who has assisted in fighting the fire.

The fire could have resulted because the soldiers were mopping up their base, he said. But the wind was also very strong.

The burnt buildings were located at the bottom of the road to the Burmese Army IB 65 command post, west of Kawngnaliu, between Monghang and Nakawngmu.

On the following day, the fire started burning again near the house of the deputy commander, but nothing was lost this time because of the local people’s help. The fire was bigger than yesterday’s blaze.

On the first day, there were about 40 villagers who assisted in fighting the fire and on the second day there were about 80 villagers.

If we did not go and help, we were sure the deputy commanders home would be burnt too and it could spread to our village (Nakawngmu),
said a local.

The IB 65 command post is based near the Thai-Burma border and it is known to drug watchers in Thailand as the main depot for heroin and methamphetamine manufactured in the township.