Hot-air lanterns from Loy Krathong celebrations are suspected as the cause of at least one of several large fires that dotted the country Thursday night.
Fire fighters try to extinguish flames at a television factory in Prachin Buri on Thursday night. (Photo by Manit Sanabboon)
Police in Prachin Buri believe either a flying, flaming khom loy lantern or an electrical short was behind the fire that gutted a television factory late Thursday, destroying a storage warehouse but causing no injuries.
The blaze at Thai Habel Industrial Co, manufacturer of home audio and visual products in Kabin Buri district, began around 10.30pm.
The fire was raging through a warehouse when local police and fire fighters arrived at the scene. At least 10 fire trucks were deployed. Flames spread quickly to the warehouse, which stores raw materials for producing televisions and other electrical products.
Firefighters took more than three hours to bring the blaze under control. No workers were inside the warehouse at the time. Damage was estimated at least 100 million baht.
Two more fires broke out in Bangkok and Ubon Ratchani on Thursday night and early Friday respectively.
In Bangkok, a fire gutted a community on Phetchakasem Soi 4 or Soi Wat Sangkrajai in Bangkok Yai district about 3am Friday, destroying 12 shophouses.
Ten trucks rushed to the scene and fire fighters took about one hour to put out the blaze. No injuries or deaths were reported. Damage has yet to be estimated.
In Ubon Ratchathani, a fire engulfed eight shophouses on the night of the Loy Krathong festival, causing more than 10 million baht in damage.
The blaze broke out at about 7.30pm in tambon Sriwichian in Nam Yuen district, opposite Nam Yuen School, police said on Friday.
Five fire trucks were sent to combat the fire, which was put out one hour later. Eight two-storey wooden shophouses were destroyed. Damage was estimated at 10 million baht.
Nam Yuen district chief Somyos Raksakulwitthaya said on Friday the fire was caused by an electric short circuit, not the release of flying lanterns as speculated.