Rubber Smoking Facility Fire Destroys 10 Million Baht
A rubber smoking facility in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Chang Klang district caught fire early July 10, destroying an estimated 10 million baht in rubber sheets and equipment after flames spread rapidly through the kiln room.
At 3:00 a.m. on July 10, 2569, Bunnyat Panaratna, the district chief of Chang Klang in Nakhon Si Thammarat, mobilized firefighting units from local government organizations across the area to battle a fire at a rubber sheet smoking facility in Chang Klang subdistrict. The fire rapidly spread through the smoking room containing large quantities of rubber. While workers and officials managed to evacuate some rubber sheets, substantial portions were completely destroyed. Firefighters spent over four hours controlling the flames, which continued to produce heavy smoke.
Initial investigations reveal that on July 9, workers had transported large quantities of raw rubber sheets into the smoking room, where fires were lit in kilns as part of the rubber smoking process. The fire ignited in the smoking room and spread rapidly. Authorities estimate damage to rubber sheets and facility structures at no less than 10 million baht, given current market prices of raw rubber at 83-85 baht per kilogram and grade-3 smoked rubber sheets exceeding 90 baht per kilogram.
District Chief Bunnyat confirmed the facility owner is Sirinida (surname withheld), operating a family business. Authorities are currently weighing the rubber brought into and removed from the facility to assess losses. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
