Major Fire Destroys Rubber Mattress Factory in Bang Thai
A massive fire destroyed a rubber mattress factory in Ayutthaya's Bang Thai district on September 9th, with firefighters from multiple provinces battling the blaze for over three hours to prevent it from spreading to nearby homes.
On September 9th at 10 p.m., Bang Thai Police received a report of a fire at a rubber mattress and pillow manufacturing plant in Bang Thai district, Ayutthaya province. Officers and fire brigades from local authorities across Ayutthaya and neighboring provinces, along with volunteer rescue teams, responded to the scene and discovered a massive column of thick black smoke rising into the night sky, visible from considerable distances.
The factory covers approximately 30 rai and contains large warehouses storing raw materials including rubber, foam, and fabric—all highly flammable materials that fueled the intense blaze. Firefighters focused water and foam efforts on the rear of the facility bordering a residential community to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby homes. After more than three hours, crews managed to contain the fire to a limited area, though chemical storage in the warehouse center still required foam suppression.
According to the factory's 59-year-old security guard, no workers were present at the time. He was in the guardhouse when flames erupted from the rear section where foam scraps and waste materials were piled. The fire rapidly spread to compressed foam storage, overwhelming containment efforts. Four trucks, raw rubber, equipment, and machinery were destroyed in the blaze.
The head of Ayutthaya's disaster prevention and mitigation office stated that the fire is now controlled but water continues to be applied to prevent re-ignition. Large backhoes are being used to spread material piles for thorough water penetration in areas with lingering embers. Records indicate this was the factory's third fire incident, but by far the most severe.
