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Highlights

  • First record of bat guano combustion in a tropical cave in Northern Thailand
  • Physical parameters at the spontaneous combustion site were thoroughly analyzed
  • Guano samples were tested for microbes to assess their role in fire generation
  • Potential causes of bat guano fires in the area are identified and discussed
  • Management implications for guano caves affected by fire are presented

Abstract

Fires occurring in cave guano are a rare and unusual phenomenon and the occurrence of such events in Southeast Asia is particularly novel. In this study, we document the first recorded instance of a bat guano fire in a tropical cave at Tham Chao Ram in Sukhothai province, northern Thailand. A bacteriological analysis was made of the guano at the fire site and from a control site within the cave. We give a comprehensive review of global reports on bat guano fires in caves, conduct an initial investigation of the physical factors at the fire site and discuss the potential causes of such fires. Additionally, we discuss the implications for guano cave management and decision-making in relation to cave guano fires. This report emphasizes the need for further research into the conditions that lead to guano fires, their ecological impacts and the development of effective management strategies to prevent or mitigate such incidents in cave environments.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.ijs2559

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

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