AYUTTHAYA: A fierce blaze that lit up the sky over a large pile of burning discarded car tyres in Bang Sai district on Thursday night took fire crews more than five hours to bring under control. No casualties were reported.
Around 50 fire trucks and hundreds of firemen were deployed to combat the raging blaze at a 2-rai tyre dump in tambon Sanam Chai.
It was finally declared under control around midnight, but firemen continued to spray water over the dump this morning to prevent the fire resurging and spreading, Sant Sroisaeng, head of the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, said on Friday.
Excavators were used to build an earthen wall around the tyre pile, he said.
The owner, Somyot Buangbulop, 61, said he bought old car tyres to cut up and sell to a cement factory, which used them as fuel in its kiln. He suspected cinders from nearby paddy fields being burned off to clear them for replanting had caused the fire.
Ayutthaya governor Sujin Chaichumsak on Friday ordered an investigation into the cause and the fire's impact on communities within 2 kilometres, and the environment.
He instructed that measures be drawn up prevent a recurrence and that recycling plants in the area be surveyed find out whether operators had adequate safety measures to control a fire.
Amorn Khaminson, chairman of Sanam Chai tambon administration organisation, said so far nobody had been affected by the blaze at the tyre dump,which far from any community area. Wind had also blown the smoke and smell away.
So far, the local administrative body had found no information on the tyre dump owner having permission to operate the site.
(Photo by Sunthon Pongpao)
(Photo by Sunthon Pongpao)
A fire crew continues to spray water over the smouldering tyre dump on Friday morning. (Photo by Sunthon Pongpao)