Chonburi: Lightning strikes! Fire engulfs a plastics factory in Sri Racha District, Chonburi Province. Black smoke billows, visible for tens of kilometers. Officials work to control the blaze amid heavy rain for over three hours.

According to Thai News Agency, at 1:30 PM, authorities responded to a report of a fire at a plastic bubble wrap warehouse in Bang Phra Subdistrict, Si Racha District, Chonburi Province. The blaze was raging in the adjacent warehouse, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky, visible for tens of kilometers. Firefighters deployed water to extinguish the blaze amid continuous rain. Two 8-liter LPG gas tanks were located near the burning warehouse. Fearing an explosion and escalating the situation, officials quickly sprayed water to prevent the flames from spreading. The warehouse’s roof had already collapsed.

The initial cause of the fire is believed to be a lightning strike that triggered an electrical short circuit, which then ignited the blaze. The company has two buildings: one is a factory, while the other is a warehouse. The building contains a large amount of plastic and foam materials, which caused the fire to spread quickly and make it difficult to control. It was a holiday, and most employees did not come to work, so there were no injuries or deaths.

After more than three hours, officials were able to control the fire at 4:30 PM. Only smoke remained. Officials will continue to investigate and collect evidence to determine the true cause of the fire and assess the damage.