Rayong: Candlelit Homework Triggers Fire, Destroys Family Home

[Georgealbert]

 

 

A 13-year-old girl narrowly escaped tragedy after a candle she was using to do homework sparked a fire that engulfed her family’s two-story wooden home in Rayong. The house, located in Soi Bo Chimanto within the Tak Sin Maharaj community, had recently been disconnected from the power grid due to unpaid electricity bills.

 

At approximately 18:50 on Nivember 25, the mayor of Rayong Municipality personally supervised firefighting efforts at the scene. Local residents managed to rescue the girl, identified as Som, from the second floor of the burning house. Suffering from smoke inhalation, she was given immediate medical attention. Firefighters from Rayong Municipality extinguished the blaze within 30 minutes, but the property was severely damaged.

 

According to preliminary investigations, the fire began when Som lit a candle to study in the absence of electricity. The candle accidentally tipped over, igniting clothing stored in the house. The fire quickly spread through the wooden upper floor, leaving little time for intervention.

 

Som recounted her harrowing experience to authorities. She had returned home after school and found the electricity disconnected. After lighting a candle to complete her homework, she extinguished it and awaited her parents, who were selling clothes at a local market. Suddenly, flames erupted near a pile of old clothing her parents had prepared for sale. Unable to control the rapidly spreading fire, Som climbed out of a second-story window and jumped to safety.

 

Som’s father, Jirapan Jinpracha, 54, returned home to find his house in ruins. Overcome with emotion, he embraced his daughter, grateful she had survived. Fighting back tears, he explained that he had been saving money to pay the overdue electricity bill the following day. “The damage caused by this fire amounts to hundreds of thousands of baht,” he lamented, “including vintage clothes we’ve been collecting for years, some worth thousands. And all because of an unpaid bill of just a few thousand baht.”

 

Jirapan pleaded with the electricity authority to show more compassion for low-income families, suggesting that additional warnings or extensions could prevent such tragedies in the future.

 

The Rayong Municipality has pledged to provide assistance to the family. Police have also contacted forensic investigators to determine the exact cause of the fire. Meanwhile, local residents have begun rallying support to help the family rebuild their lives.

 

While the fire destroyed the family’s possessions, the timely rescue of Som prevented a far worse outcome. Her story serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of economic hardship and the importance of safety precautions when using candles or open flames.

 

Picture from responders.

-- 2024-11-26