The Thalang Police Station was alerted to the fire in Thepkrasattri’s Moo 4 around 4.12pm on Thursday (Feb 1). Lt Col Anukun Nuket received the call and immediately proceeded to the scene with fellow officers.
Upon arrival, Lt Col Anukun and his team discovered that the fire had erupted at the workers’ residence of MJU Service Co., Ltd. Firefighting units from several local municipalities collaborated to douse the flames, which took over one hour.
By 5.25pm, "officials were able to control the fire without any injuries," Thalang Police reported. The cause of the fire is suspected to be an electrical short circuit, with damages estimated at B50,000.
The Baan Done incident came as part of a series of fires beginning with a significant blaze at the ‘100 things of this, 1,000 things of that’ store on Thepkrasattri Rd northbound in Moo 1, Srisoonthorn on Jan 30, followed by a fire near the PPAO Hospital in Rassada on Jan 31.
PHUKET FIRE SEASON
Despite Phuket’s annual increased fire danger period, no official warnings regarding the risk of residential fires or wildfires have been issued so far.
It wass on Feb 5, 2022, when a major wildfire scorched approximately 50 rai of hillside land near Nai Harn Beach, leaving 16 tourists stranded on rocks at Laem Krathing. The tourists were rescued by Navy personnel after it became clear they had no safe means of escape by land.
Phuket fire teams, unable to tackle the steep hillsides, worked to protect a nearby luxury resort and local houses from the blaze, which took several days to fully contain.
Rawai Mayor Aroon Soros attributed the Nai Harn fire of 2022 to two possible causes: the hot weather (a natural cause) and/or a discarded cigarette butt (a man-made cause).
Just like Nai Harn, the Baan Don locale, scene of the Feb 1 fire, is quickly developing into an upscale residential area. A short drive from Bang Tao beach, the area is being promoted by property developers as a prime Phuket destination.
Although technically in tambon Thepkrasattri, Baan Don is commonly associated with Cherng Talay. Photos from the Feb 1 fire at the MJU Service Co., Ltd. workers’ camp showed fire engines from both Cherng Talay Municipality and Srisoonthorn Municipality.
Amid repeated fires of various natures (residential, wildfires, and garbage site fires) in February and March last year, Pa Khlok Municipality released the following set of fire-prevention guidelines for residents:
- Regularly check electrical equipment, appliances, and their cables.
- Use only high-quality outlets, plugs, and other equipment that meet safety standards.
- Turn off electrical appliances after use.
- Don’t forget to close the gas cylinder in the kitchen after use. Regularly check the cylinder and stove.
- If protective bars are installed on the windows and doors of the house, ensure at least one exit path remains open for evacuation in case of a fire.
- Purchase a fire extinguisher for the home and install it in a location where it is visible and easily accessible.
- The home’s electrical supply system must include a circuit breaker that interrupts the current.
- Follow safety procedures when storing flammable materials. Keep them away from heat sources and open flames.
- Exercise extreme caution with any activities that involve open flames.
- Place a sign in a visible location with the number of the nearest fire station and the universal emergency service numbers (199, 1784).