Fire fury: Inferno engulfs townhouse, burns 2 million baht hole

A townhouse fire erupted in Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi, causing damage estimated at over 2 million baht. The inferno broke out at 8am today and quickly spread to two adjacent properties. Ten water trucks were deployed to control the blaze, preventing further spread to neighbouring houses.

The fire originated in a two-storey townhouse, rapidly engulfing the lower floor before spreading to two neighbouring properties. The fire department was able to control the flames within half an hour, yet the originating townhouse was almost destroyed. The two adjacent townhouses suffered substantial damage, including burnt roof structures and loss of various household items.

Investigations revealed that a neighbour, 38 years old Noi, smelled something burning before leaving for work in the morning but didn’t find any source for the smell. Later, her daughter called to inform her of the fire. She immediately instructed her daughter and grandchildren to escape the house. Upon returning home, she found the fire department battling the blaze. She also discovered her washing machine, wardrobe, and many other items had been destroyed by the fire, reported KhaoSod.

The 22 year old daughter of Noi, Sunisa, stated that she was at home with her child and husband when the fire broke out. She heard people shouting about a fire, upon which she saw the flames and quickly fled the house with her family.

The head of the burnt house’s labourers, 32 year old Sakkarin, was working at a construction site when a neighbour called to inform him about the fire. Upon returning, he found the fire department already at the scene. He stated that the house belonged to an elderly person and served as accommodation for about ten workers. Before they left for work that morning, nothing seemed amiss. The fire started at the place where they stored construction materials, including a large number of PVC pipes, providing fuel for the fire to intensify rapidly.

An official stated that the municipality has assigned engineers to inspect the initial structural damage and evaluate the next course of action. The municipality will also assess the damage to provide aid to those impacted by the fire, which is preliminarily estimated at not less than 2 million baht (US$56,340).

The police have cordoned off the area and are awaiting forensic experts from Nonthaburi Province to investigate the real cause of the fire.

Follow more of The Thaiger’s latest stories on our new Facebook page HERE.