A historic hotel in Saraburi, which stood for over 50 years, was destroyed by a fire late at night yesterday, August 5. At 10.20pm,
Police Lieutenant Colonel Paitoon Pankluaymai, Investigator at Mueang Saraburi District Police Station, was informed of a blaze at the I-Nguan Hotel, located near the railway station in Saraburi province. He relayed the information to his superiors and promptly went to the site with municipal and volunteer firefighters, as well as fire trucks and water trucks, to urgently tackle the blaze.
Upon arrival, Saraburi Mayor, Doctor Panupong Tipayasawat, joined with additional fire trucks from the municipality. The scene revealed a two-storey building, part concrete and part wooden, comprising 11 units. The fire began on the ground floor near the bathroom of room eight and rapidly spread due to the building’s old wooden structure, causing concern among nearby market residents.
Firefighters deployed over 10 fire trucks and high-lift ladder trucks to assist in the operations, spraying water from above onto the blaze engulfing the upper floor’s guest rooms amid thick smoke. Additional fire trucks entered the adjacent post office compound to help extinguish the fire from another angle.
After over an hour, the fire was brought under control. During the incident, Saraburi Deputy Governor Lerchai Sagonsoawapak, Mueang Saraburi District Chief Attakarn Jittawil, and Saraburi Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Officer Wattanapong Wongkicharoj arrived to support the firefighting team and inquire about any injuries.
Dr Tipayasawat confirmed that the fire was under control and expressed gratitude to all assisting agencies. He stated that the building, estimated to be 40 to 50 years old, was highly flammable due to its wooden upper floor, while the lower floor was made of concrete.
Hotel fire
Witnesses reported the fire originated near the ground floor bathroom of room seven and quickly spread. Only one person, a woman, sustained minor injuries due to shock. Officials are currently clearing the smoke and will conduct a thorough examination of the site. The cause of the fire is pending investigation.
A local, Tong, who runs a photocopy shop at the building’s corner, recounted that he was at another nearby home when a friend alerted him to the fire. On reaching the scene, he saw the fire spreading from the hotel’s second floor, threatening his shop, reported KhaoSod.
He quickly moved his belongings. The fire’s cause remains unknown, as neighbours also failed to provide any information. The fire spread rapidly due to the wooden upper floor, while the lower floor was concrete, affecting several rooms. Such an incident had never occurred before.
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