Blaze rips through Loei’s motorcycle shops, igniting chaos

A fierce blaze tore through three connected motorcycle parts shops in Loei, a province in Thailand, sparking a series of explosions and marking the city’s worst fire in 11 years.

The inferno, which erupted at 8.30pm yesterday, prompted an intense firefighting effort that lasted nearly two hours before the flames were finally subdued.

The fire, reported at Saeng Thong Parts on Nok Kaeo Road within the Loei municipal area, resulted in a formidable response from the municipal fire brigade.

Upon arrival, firefighters encountered a violent conflagration at the three-unit building, which was severely ablaze. Inside, a vast amount of highly flammable motorcycle tyres, spray paint cans, engine oils, and other lubricants fuelled the fire.

The scene was punctuated by the constant explosions of over 2,000 paint cans and 1,000 bottles of oil, which detonated every three seconds for an hour straight, further feeding the fire.

A large-scale operation, with over 100 personnel across various agencies, including the municipal teams from Loei and Na Aan, the highway department, military, police, and volunteer rescue squads such as Sawang Kiri, Rescue Ruamjai, and Rescue Tewa, converged on the scene.

The combined forces bravely battled the blaze into the night, pouring water onto the flames in a relentless fight against one of the most significant fires the province had seen since March 20, 2013.

That previous incident had devastated a five-story warehouse on Ruamjai Road in Muang Loei District, engulfing three adjacent rooms and blanketing the entire city in thick, black smoke.

The aftermath of the fire left a landscape of destruction, with the extent of the damage to the Saeng Thong Parts shop prompting officials to initiate a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the disaster, reported KhaoSod.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential hazards present in areas where flammable materials are stored in abundance and the relentless dedication of firefighting crews and rescue services in the face of such dangers.