Major Fire Breaks Out at Paper Mill in Rayong

Picture and video from responders.

A fire broke out at the Thai Paper Mills Company, a renowned paper factory located along the Ban Khai-Ban Bueng Road in Nong Bua Subdistrict, Ban Khai District, Rayong Province. The incident occurred at approximately 14:30 on December 11, prompting an immediate response from local authorities and emergency services.

Pol. Lt. Col. Apichart Konetsuwan, an investigator at the Nong Krub Police Station, received the report and swiftly arrived at the scene with a team of officers, local disaster relief officials, and rescue volunteers from the Sawang Prakut Foundation.

Upon arrival, the fire was raging fiercely through piles of paper stored outside the factory building, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Firefighters from nearby districts were called in to assist in battling the flames, while factory workers scrambled to escape the chaos.

Efforts were made by the factory management to control the blaze. Workers attempted to use excavators, forklifts, and grappling vehicles to disperse and move the burning paper away from the fire. However, the highly flammable nature of the paper, coupled with strong winds, made containing the fire extremely challenging.

According to factory staff, smoke was first spotted emanating from a large stack of compressed paper prepared for recycling. Within moments, the fire rapidly spread. Initial assessments suggest that the blaze may have been triggered by heat accumulation (spontaneous combustion) within the paper stack.

The fire was still burning throughout the night, with firefighting using large water jets to contain the fire. Given the nature of the stacked paper the outside edges are burning and need to be continually extinguished with water, as the burning material is pulled away and the process repeated over and over.

Authorities are working to determine the exact cause of the fire. Forensic experts are scheduled to inspect the site on December 12, but a full inspection will have to be after the fire is fully extinguished. Factory executives and eyewitnesses will be summoned for further questioning by authorities as part of the investigation. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities have been reported in the incident.

-- 2024-12-12