Power Outage Leads to Fire as Family Relies on Candles

2026-01-26 - 05:14

CHONBURI — 26 January 2026, a fire broke out in a townhouse in the Ngam Charoen 3 village in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, Chonburi province, at 01:40 on Tuesday morning, nearly engulfing the entire property. Authorities were quickly alerted and dispatched fire trucks from the Nong Prue municipality. Upon arrival, firefighters found the blaze raging on the second floor of house number 45/79. A rapid response team laid out hoses and began spraying water to contain the fire, which was eventually brought under control in a short time. Ms. Sangmanee Yokkong, 28, the homeowner, explained that the fire was caused by her 10-year-old daughter who had lit a candle to use as light in the bathroom. The child had forgotten to blow it out before leaving, and the candle’s flame eventually dripped onto a plastic part of the bathroom, igniting the fire. The family has been without electricity and water for the past three months due to unpaid utility bills, forcing them to rely on candles for illumination. Initial investigations confirmed that the blaze started in the bathroom, where the unattended candle caused the fire to spread rapidly. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported.