Smoke engulfed a forest as a wildfire rages on a mountain in northern Thailand.

Footage shows a thick blanket of smoke covering the woodlands near the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park in Chiang Mai province on February 25.

Firefighters dispatched 80 personnel to tackle the blaze.

Local media reported the flames were contained 'within a limited area' by 10 am local time. Officers were still at the scene to monitor potential reignitions.

Authorities believe the fire was intentionally started 'for foraging purposes'.

The incident is the first forest fire this year at Doi Suthep - a high-risk area due to its proximity to Chiang Mai City.

Smoke from the fire caused a spike in air pollution, with PM 2.5 fine levels nearly doubling from the previous day.

The PM 2.5 recorded at Chiang Mai Provincial Hall was 47.6 microgrammes per cubic metre, while it was 43.8 microgrammes per cubic metre at the Yupparaj Wittayalai School.

The safe level is 5, according to the World Health Organisation.

Dangerous levels of deadly PM 2.5 particles are recorded every year in Thailand between December and April.

Despite paying lip service for several years, politicians have failed to stop individuals from burning their land due to it being cheaper and easier than modern farming methods.

In March 2023, the Public Health Ministry of Thailand reported that around 1.3 million people in the country had been unwell due to the rising levels of air pollution. Officials said 200,000 residents were hospitalised in a single week.

They warned hospitals in December 2023 to prepare for an influx of patients.

It came as researchers from Peking University in Beijing, China, also discovered that long-term exposure to particulate matter PM.25 air pollution is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.

In December, Dr Krittai Thanasombatkul from Chiang Mai, Thailand, died of lung cancer. He had previously blamed PM 2.5 microdust particles for his condition.

The New York State Department of Health say PM 2.5 increases the risk of heart disease, asthma, and low birth weight.

While medics from South Korea published research in the National Institute of Health in the United States that said the pollutant increases the risk of stroke, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and other illnesses such as immune deficiency and even obesity.