Authorities struggle to control fire at chemical warehouse in Rayong

[webfact]

 

A fire broke out at an industrial waste and chemical warehouse belonging to the Win Process Company in the eastern province of Rayong at 8.30am yesterday. The Thai authorities have been working for over 20 hours to extinguish the fire and are struggling to fully control it due to flammable chemical substances.

 

Residents living near the warehouse in the Ban Khai district of Rayong had to evacuate for their safety. The fire produced thick black plumes of smoke that covered the residential area and emitted chemical odours from various substances stored in the warehouse.

 

The fire started in a Win Process company warehouse and then spread to another, causing multiple explosions.

According to Thai PBS, firefighters found it challenging to put out the fire using water alone because of the chemicals present. They had to use a fire suppressant called aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) along with water to prevent the fire from spreading any further.

Rayong province Deputy Governor Kanchai Thepworrachai told the Prachachart news platform that the Thai authorities were still unable to fully control the fire despite more than 20 hours of operation.

 

However, they have managed to contain it within a limited area. Firefighters are still spraying water to prevent the fire from spreading any further.

 

Kanchai anticipates that the situation will be under control by the end of today, and investigations into the cause of the fire will begin tomorrow.

 

Kanchai added that the province plans to declare the affected area a disaster zone, including the Bangbuth and Nong Bua sub-districts. Locals in these two areas were evacuated to temporary shelters, while some chose to stay with their relatives.

 

The Win Process company was involved in the separation and disposal of chemical and industrial waste. According to MGR Online, the company faced a lawsuit from 15 locals for health effects caused by its operations.

 

The Rayong Provincial Court ordered the company to compensate the affected individuals with more than 20 million baht on December 13, 2022. The company operation was suspended, and the chemical substances in the warehouses were abandoned without proper management, leading to the fire.

 

 

by Petch Petpailin

Photo via Facebook/ ฝันดี - ฝันเด่น ใจถึงใจคนไทยไม่ทิ้งกัน

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-04-23

 

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[AsiaCheese]

Just like hit & run...!

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The company operation was suspended, and the chemical substances in the warehouses were abandoned without proper management, leading to the fire.

 

[Georgealbert]

The area around the factory has been safely evacuated and hazard monitoring put in place. The fire seems to be surrounded and contained within the site snd responders will have no idea what chemicals are on the site.

As it is chemical waste disposal, you would assume, flammable gases, liquids or solids, compressed gas cylinders, possible water/air reactive, toxic materials, poisons, corrosives, oxidising agents, combustibles, etc.

 

Each type of material will pose it own risks, but when mixed in a fire situations, the new compounds, will have untested and unknown reactions, volatility, flammability, explosive risk, toxicity and health hazards. So responders must be firstly aware of their own safety as the priority, as there is no justification for anyone to take any risks on an abandoned building, which is not going to be saved.

 

AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) is a synthetic firefighting foam concentrate, primarily used to extinguish flammable liquids. It forms a water film between the flammable liquid and the foam, and this allows the foam to spread easily and knock down the flames. It will also form a vapour barrier to prevent the release of harmful/toxic/flammable vapours into the atmosphere.

 

There was another thread on this yesterday.

 

 

[hotchilli]

43 minutes ago, AsiaCheese said:

Just like hit & run...!

 

 

speaks volumes.

[Georgealbert]

Seems this is the second fire being linked to the factory owner. The Ministry of Industry, believes the fire in Rayong is linked to the incident at a factory at Phachi Ayutthaya

 

Translation below from Thai news site.

 

“23 April 2024 from the recent fire incident at a chemical factory in Rayong, Ms. Pimpattra Wichaikul, Minister of Industry. Mentioning this case after it was thought that it might be connected to the factory where the previous fire occurred in Phachi District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, that He also stated that he had received the report since yesterday (April 22) from the provincial industry. which he ordered to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and the Director-General of the Department of Industrial Works went to look into this matter immediately.

 

"Thank you to the governor of Rayong Province. and agencies in the area that helped put out the fire. Last night he was informed that the flames had been dealt with. But this morning there was another report that There are still flames, and today Rayong Province will meet again. including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Will go in and look at air quality and the amount of chemical residue.”

 

When asked about the connection between the two fires, it was noted whether or not it was the destruction of evidence. Ms. Pimphattra stated that the two were linked in the matter of the factory owner and the burning to destroy evidence. In this matter, it is better to wait for the conclusion from the police first. “This story is truly epic. Not only the areas in Phachi District and Rayong Province, including the Ratchaburi Province area as well, which has ordered the Department of Industry to take responsibility for this issue as well. The truth must be brought to answer society. Is it true to the allegations? which had to go down and inspect the scene to find residue Look at air quality to see if it has an impact on people or not. Including water leaking into the nearby canal area or not. Most importantly, we know that bedridden patients have been evacuated since yesterday.”

 

The reporter further asked if this incident seemed suspicious or not. Ms. Pimpattra stated that there was definitely a case but asked the police to be the one to summarize the matter of the case. But for his part, he will take care of the disposal of chemical waste in that area. The litigation is currently underway as to how the remaining waste will be disposed of from now on.“

This would appear to be the other fire.

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/police-claim-fire-at-ayutthaya-chemical-storage-facility-was-arson/

 

 

 

Edited April 23 by Georgealbert

[kwilco]

Apparently over 50% of all industrial waste inthe Rayong industrial region is disposed of in substandard ways - mostly illegal.

THis fire is very convenient as legal processes were already under way.

[kwilco]

This isn't the first chemical fire in the region and not the last.

People who were living in this area from before the major  industrialisation have been taking legal action for years to preserve the land sea and water all of which is damaged.

 

Expats living in the region, and you can include Pattaya in this, seem unaware of the polluted future they face.

 

I worked all over that region for nearly 20 years and was frequently shocked and horrified by the breaches in health and safety I witnessed.

Edited April 23 by kwilco

[Georgealbert]

The latest update say that local authorities have reported approximately 95% of the fire has been extinguished.

 

Of the five warehouses on the site, four have caught fire, with two being completely destroyed. Fortunately, the fire was prevented from reaching the warehouse where oil wastes were stored.
 

The owner of the warehouses is currently being summoned by the police and the police are also investigating a potential link between this fire and another incident that occurred in Ayutthaya. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it’s suggested that the electricity supply to the warehouses was cut off over two months ago.
 

Residents who were evacuated yesterday are now permitted to return home, However, due to the lingering smell of burnt chemicals in the air, residents have been advised to continue avoiding exposure to any smoke.

 

[Peterphuket]

Thailand is full of this crap, I don't want to repeat myself, but I have recently already posted a video twice about the pollution taking place in Thailand.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The Win Process company was involved in the separation and disposal of chemical and industrial waste. According to MGR Online, the company faced a lawsuit from 15 locals for health effects caused by its operations.

 

The Rayong Provincial Court ordered the company to compensate the affected individuals with more than 20 million baht on December 13, 2022. The company operation was suspended, and the chemical substances in the warehouses were abandoned without proper management, leading to the fire.

 

Just wait until Thailand gets into the nuclear power business one of these days......  😞

 

They've pretty clearly shown, repeatedly, as is the case here, that their regulation and enforcement are insufficient to actually protect the environment, the public and pretty much everything else.

 

[kiwikeith]

14 hours ago, AsiaCheese said:

Just like hit & run...!

 

 

So all the dangerous batteries heated up and up she went for songkran 

[kwilco]

Thailand has a lot invested in the industrial development the EEC. Yet the areas they intend or are developing have for decades been subject to substandard health and safety.

One of the major issues is the disposal of industrial waste. The air soil water and sea are all affected by the industries in the region.

Locals have been protesting for decades yet fire like this continue.

THe authorities may say that there are laws in place to protect people but the truth is, they are simply not enforced - (the age old Thai tradition of how you "treat" inspectors?) - 

Would you knowingly buy vegetables grown in that region or eat the fish caught in the sea.

 

Tourist areas included are Pattaya, Koh Samet as wwell as several reservoiors that no doubt supply Pattaya as well as the surrounding regions.

[Georgealbert]

2 hours ago, kwilco said:

Thailand has a lot invested in the industrial development the EEC. Yet the areas they intend or are developing have for decades been subject to substandard health and safety.

One of the major issues is the disposal of industrial waste. The air soil water and sea are all affected by the industries in the region.

Locals have been protesting for decades yet fire like this continue.

THe authorities may say that there are laws in place to protect people but the truth is, they are simply not enforced - (the age old Thai tradition of how you "treat" inspectors?) - 

Would you knowingly buy vegetables grown in that region or eat the fish caught in the sea.

 

Tourist areas included are Pattaya, Koh Samet as wwell as several reservoiors that no doubt supply Pattaya as well as the surrounding regions.

This opinion piece fully supports what you are saying;

 

“Residents near the Rayong warehouses had been voicing concerns for over a decade about the warehouse, their protests culminating in a lawsuit that saw the facilities abandoned but not cleared of hazardous waste. The indifference to these warnings nearly resulted in a catastrophe when the warehouses, filled with poorly documented chemical waste, caught fire. Similar negligence led to an environmental disaster when floods last year caused some of these chemicals to leak.”

 

https://www.thaienquirer.com/52111/thai-government-must-put-people-over-profit-after-warehouse-fire/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHQifDfN2bX6G4Uy5wd1PdU5raa95XLECgCxP_w80lp1KOZTxL1rVr0pYNw_aem_AWrLeCisUS7Ndcp7i6ZP786ZGPk2QDJCS2fMfHairSbnkfqXAJCwOmiNGHvdGjK0zsA