Car bursts into flames in Thailand from dry tissues and toothpicks

A car parked under the scorching Thai sun burst into flames, nearly burning the entire vehicle due to the presence of dry tissues and toothpicks. The incident, which serves as a stark warning about the dangers of leaving combustible materials in a car exposed to intense heat, occurred at noon today, April 2.

The vehicle’s owner revealed the harrowing moments and the origin of the fire, advising others to remove similar items from their cars to prevent such incidents.

The owner, Tawan Sapklin, shared that his usual routine involved parking his car in a residential alley and then commuting to work by motorcycle. On this fateful day, he received a call from his mother at noon, informing him that his car was ablaze.

Rushing back home, he found that the firefighters from Ratburana Station had already extinguished the fire. Upon inspection, the origin of the fire was traced back to the rear seat where he had stored dry tissues and toothpicks.

Sun speculated that the combination of the extreme heat from the previous day and the sunlight refracting through the rear window had ignited the flammable items.

Fortunately, the proximity of Tawan’s parking spot to the fire station allowed for swift action by the fire service, preventing the fire from destroying the car. Tawan estimated the damage to be around 20,000 baht and plans to have his car thoroughly inspected and the seats replaced.

He urged everyone to be cautious when parking in the sun and to ensure flammable items, like tissues and toothpicks, are not left inside the vehicle to avoid similar dangers.

In January this year, a Thai driver transporting aluminium phosphate, commonly used to eliminate agricultural pests, found himself in a precarious situation when his vehicle caught fire.

The incident unfolded in Soi Porn Sawang 7, Samrong Nua Subdistrict, Samut Prakan. A rapid response by local fire crews and the Ruamkatanyu Foundation contained the situation, preventing a potential disaster.