SAMUT PRAKAN: A fire at a shoe factory in Bang Phli district on Tuesday night caused an estimated 100 million baht damage, but no injuries.
The fire began about 9pm at a factory producing canvas shoes for Watana Footwear Company in Soi King Kaew 9/1, tambon Rachathewa, Pol Lt Col Thanadet Panyalikitkul, deputy chief investigator at Bang Kaew, said.
About 20 fire engines from Rachathewa tambon administration organisation and nearby areas were dispatched to fight the blaze.
The two-storey building was already well alight when they arrived, the flames fuelled by the large amount of highly inflammable glue and thinners stored on the premises.
Firemen were hard pressed to prevent the fire spreading to the adjacent Walker Inter Company building.
The blaze was finally declared under control about two hours later. All supplies and machinery inside the factory were destroyed.
The damage was estimated at 100 million baht.
Security guard Ken Thairot, 56, said the factory was closed, so nobody was inside when the fire broke out.
He was sitting in front of the building when smoke began billowing out of it. He and other security guards ran inside and saw a machine in flames. They tried to put out the fire with chemical extinguishers, but were not successful and the fire quickly spread.
He called the police for help.
Police were investigating the cause of the fire, which was initially put down to an electrical short-circuit in the machine.
