Pattaya scrap yard inferno: Fire sparks 300K baht damage
A massive fire erupted at a scrap yard in Pattaya, causing up to 300,000 baht in damages and adding to growing air pollution concerns in the region.
The Nong Prue Municipality’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department received reports of a raging fire at a scrap yard in Soi Thung Klom Tan Man 17 at 2pm on Thursday, February 13. Firefighters from Nong Prue Police Station and Sawang Boriboon Rescue Foundation rushed to the scene, dispatching five fire trucks to battle the flames.
Upon arrival, they found the 6-rai yard engulfed in smoke, with flames tearing through a warehouse storing old cardboard boxes. It took nearly 30 minutes to bring the fire under control, but by then, much of the facility was completely destroyed.
According to 30 year old Pongsakorn, the blaze started when a forklift’s wheels spun on a pile of cardboard, creating sparks that ignited the dry material. Workers quickly called emergency services, but the fire spread too fast to contain.
Police estimate 200,000 to 300,000 baht in damages, but the fire has raised bigger concerns about worsening air pollution. This incident follows another large wildfire in Bang Lamung just days earlier, fuelling fears of escalating pollution levels in Chon Buri and surrounding areas, reported The Pattaya News.
In January, a massive wildfire near Pattaya was visible for kilometres, adding to the ongoing environmental crisis. With back-to-back fires wreaking havoc, residents worry that Pattaya’s pollution problem is only getting worse.
In similar news, Phuket launched a major crackdown on environmental offenders as part of a campaign to tackle the island’s worsening air pollution crisis.
In a bid to reduce forest fires, haze, and dangerous PM2.5 dust levels, officials kicked off a public awareness drive with a grand ceremony at Phuket Provincial Hall on February 3, led by Vice Governor Adul Chuthong.
The Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM Phuket) spearheaded the initiative, vowing to combat the harmful dust particles that plague the island during the dry season.
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