RATCHABURI: A truck was damaged after blocks of rice straw it was carrying caught fire in Pak Tho district, police said. No-one was hurt.
Pol Lt Col Pairoj Butpanurak, a Pak Tho police duty officer, said two fire trucks from Bo Kradan and Pa Kai tambon administration organisations were dispatched to the Bo Takhro three-way junction in tambon Bo Kradan after being informed of the incident.
It took half an hour to extinguish the flames, which burnt much of the straw and damaged the six-wheeled Hino truck.
Jakrit Suwapapkul, 36, the truck driver, said the incident occurred while he was delivering blocks of rice straw from a village in the area.
Soon after leaving the village, he noticed the straw was burning. He decided to speed out of the village for fear that the burning straw would blow onto nearby houses, setting them ablaze, before stopping the vehicle at the junction and calling for help.
Mr Jakrit said he did not know what actually caused the fire, but believed it might have been a burning ember that was blown by the wind onto the straw.
Police were investigating.
