Deputy mayor’s house in Ubon Ratchathani destroyed by fire

Residents narrowly escaped a dramatic house fire, which destroyed the home of a local deputy mayor in Ubon Ratchathani. The blaze, which started in a prayer room, was only discovered after a neighbour alerted the family.

Police Lieutenant Prasert Ayuwong, an investigator with the Mueang Ubon Ratchathani Police Station, reported details of the incident. The fire broke out yesterday evening within a residence on Somdet 26 Alley, Pathum subdistrict, Mueang district, Ubon Ratchathani province. Emergency services, including rescue teams and more than ten fire trucks from various local administrative bodies, responded swiftly due to the densely populated neighbourhood.

The house at 28 Somdet 26 Alley, a semi-concrete, semi-wooden structure, is owned by 58 year old Somsak Chueaphan, the Deputy Mayor of Pathum Subdistrict Municipality. The fire, which engulfed the entire house, was brought under control in about 40 minutes, leaving behind damages estimated at 2 million baht (US$59,500).

Somsak recounted that he and his family, four people in total, were downstairs when a neighbour rushed in to inform them that the second floor was ablaze. He quickly evacuated his grandparents from the house, reported KhaoSod.

“The fire seemed to have originated in the upstairs prayer room and spread rapidly because the upper floor is made of wood, which is highly flammable,” Somsak stated. “I attempted to extinguish it before the fire trucks arrived, but it was beyond control.”

Initial assessments by officials suggest that an electrical short circuit might have caused the fire. However, further investigations will be conducted by forensic officials to determine the exact cause.

In related news, a blaze erupted at the ‘Reua-bai’ noodle shop on the Chalong-to-Kata road after a Myanmar worker accidentally left the gas on while cooking an egg dish.

Police were alerted around 3.30pm on September 8, prompting a swift response from officers and firefighters from Chalong Municipality. The fire caused substantial damage to the shop’s kitchen, located next to Mini Big C, halfway between Chalong Circle and Kata Hill.