Community Fire in Downtown Ayutthaya Destroys 6 Houses, Students Evacuated from Nearby School
A fire destroyed six wooden houses in downtown Ayutthaya on May 20, forcing firefighters to extend hoses over 300 meters through cramped alleys and prompting the evacuation of students from a nearby school.
On May 20 at 2:00 p.m., Deputy Superintendent Wirunkit Tantrakomlae of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Police responded to a report of residential fire in the Salaeng and Wat Prasart community on Soi Oo Thong 54, Moo 5, Tao Rattanajai Subdistrict, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District. More than 10 fire trucks from the municipality and local administration were dispatched to the scene.
The fire occurred in an old wooden housing community with cramped conditions and narrow alleys, preventing fire trucks from accessing the houses directly. Firefighters had to extend hoses over 300 meters to reach the fire, which was spreading rapidly due to densely packed wooden structures and an old school building in the area. During the incident, explosion-like sounds were heard repeatedly amid thick black smoke billowing into the sky and strong gusts of wind. Firefighters continuously sprayed water for over an hour before containing the flames.
Initially, six houses were found destroyed, and the old school building within the area sustained partial damage to its upper floors but was not completely destroyed.
The fire site was close to Chomsurung Uptham School, and smoke drifted into the school premises. The school immediately announced the emergency evacuation of all students from classrooms and coordinated with parents to pick up their children early.
Phra Pheerwat, a monk at Wat Prasart, revealed that they heard sounds similar to electrical shorts multiple times before the fire rapidly ignited in the center of the community. He immediately reported the incident to authorities, noting that the area consisted of old wooden houses and unused old buildings.
