Fire breaks out in pile of old automotive parts in Laem Chabang

At around 1.30pm on Saturday, Laem Chabang Police Station in Si Racha district, Chonburi province, received a report of a fire at a pile of old tyres and pickup-truck bed liners in a parking area owned by Mitsubishi Motors.

Firefighters from the Laem Chabang Municipality, Laem Chabang Port, and Si Racha Municipality brought fire engines to assist, along with rescue personnel from Sawang Prateep Rescue Unit, Si Racha, who joined in extinguishing the fire.

The fire broke out in an area designated for storing old automotive parts and tyres. At the scene, dense black smoke was seen billowing into the sky from a stack of old tyres. The fire rapidly spread to an area storing Maxliner pickup-truck bed liners, which served as excellent fuel, causing the flames to rage intensely. 

Firefighters had to spray water in all directions to confine the fire to a limited area. It took more than two hours to bring the fire under control.

However, the firefighters continued to douse the area with water as there were concerns that the fire might reignite.

According to an employee of the company, the area where the fire broke out is typically not accessed by other workers. Before the incident, they noticed a smell of burning rubber, which initially did not raise any alarm. 

Shortly after, they saw flames in the area. Staff attempted to extinguish the fire, but their efforts were unsuccessful, and the blaze quickly spread. 

Initially, the authorities conducted an on-site inspection alongside company officials, suspecting that accumulated heat might have led to the incident. 

A detailed investigation will be conducted to determine the exact cause of the fire.