E-bike charging blast nearly engulfs house

2026-02-23 - 09:03

CHONBURI — 23 February 2026, An electric bicycle left charging exploded and sparked a fire that nearly engulfed an entire house in Chonburi province on Sunday, police said. At 10:30, Pol. Lt. Col. Chanda Dethphan, a deputy investigator at Bang Lamung police station, was notified of a house fire at 75/8 Moo 11 in Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district. Disaster prevention officers from Pattaya City, three fire engines and volunteers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Foundation were dispatched to the scene. Two houses stood within the same compound, with a central area used as a car park. Flames were found burning in the parking area. Firefighters took about 10 minutes to bring the blaze under control. An electric bicycle was completely destroyed. A white Nissan March car, registration Kor Thor 8681 Chonburi, sustained damage to the right rear section, while a storage shelf nearby was also damaged. Yodchai Khampangsi, 43, the homeowner’s younger brother, said he had been upstairs when he noticed a large amount of smoke. He ran down to find flames engulfing the electric bicycle, which had been plugged in to charge, and alerted authorities. Police inspected the scene and began questioning witnesses. Initial investigations indicated the fire was likely caused by the electric bicycle being left charging unattended.