Fire engulfs recyclable waste mountain in northern Thailand

A fire erupted atop a mound of recyclable waste at the headquarters of Wongpanit International Co Ltd in Phitsanulok province. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

Over 20 fire engines and a multitude of firefighters battled for hours to wrestle the flames under control in the northern province’s Mueang district.

Wongpanit, a recycling centre boasting over 2,000 franchise branches nationwide, witnessed its sprawling mountain of refuse become a towering beacon of destruction.

Preliminary investigations point towards an electric short circuit at a power pole adjacent to the gargantuan garbage pile as the potential culprit behind this raging conflagration. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

District Chief Akrachok Suwannathong shed light on the calamity, stating that the fire ignited around 2am this morning, believed to have originated from sparks emanating from short circuits at a power pole situated beside the colossal waste heap comprising over 50 tonnes of recyclable materials, soaring to heights equivalent to a five-storey building.

Miraculously, the fire spared Wongpanit’s main building, situated just north of the hazardous mound, as firefighters contained the blaze, preventing its reach into the nearby community.

Despite this triumph, thick plumes of smoke billowed from the blazing waste hill, shrouding the adjacent residential area in a haze. Even by 8am, firefighters continued in their attempts to douse the fire within the waste hill, reported The Nation.

In the aftermath, an informed source emphasised the uncertainty surrounding the fire’s cause. The possibility of an electric short circuit remains speculative, and relevant officials pledged to scrutinise the scene post-extinguishment to ascertain the root cause of the fire disaster.

In related news, a fire incident occurred at a recycling factory in Village No. 1, Nong Suang Subdistrict, Wihan Daeng District, Saraburi province, at 11.25am on December 15 last year. Wihan Daeng District Chief Asirawan Phoephuet was informed and fire trucks were dispatched to various areas.

The factory has an area of more than 20 rai (32,000 square metres). Supervisors at the factory were notified about the situation immediately.