Fire guts Ayutthaya mattress factory as crews battle to protect nearby homes

A major fire destroyed a latex mattress and pillow factory in Ayutthaya on Wednesday night (September 9), causing its main warehouse structure to collapse. The factory occupies a site of approximately 4.8 hectares in Bang Sai district.

The blaze is suspected to have started in a pile of foam offcuts behind the factory before spreading rapidly. No production workers were on the premises at the time, according to the factory’s security guard.

Bang Sai police received a report of the fire at Eco Latex Co., Ltd. at about 10pm. Fire engines from local authorities in Ayutthaya and neighbouring provinces were mobilised, alongside disaster-relief volunteers.

Firefighters protect nearby homes

Large plumes of black smoke rose above the factory and could be seen from a considerable distance despite the darkness.

The main warehouse was used for production and storage, containing rubber, foam and fabric that fuelled the intense blaze.

Firefighters concentrated their efforts on preventing the flames from spreading, particularly at the rear of the factory, where several homes stood nearby.

It took more than three hours to contain the fire. Flames remained in the central part of the warehouse, where production chemicals were stored, requiring crews to use firefighting foam.

An initial inspection found that the main warehouse had been gutted and its structure had collapsed. A smaller warehouse beside it was also destroyed, along with four lorries, rubber raw materials, mattress and pillow components, and all the machinery.

Guard reports flames rising from foam offcuts

Somphop Saengrueangrong, the factory’s 59-year-old security guard, said he was sitting in the guardhouse when he saw flames rising from the rear of the premises.

The area was used to pile up foam offcuts and other materials left over from production.

He said the fire then spread to an area containing compressed foam blocks, growing rapidly beyond his ability to control it. He immediately alerted the factory owner and called the authorities for assistance.

Crews continue cooling operation

Paweena Thongsakunphan, head of the provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, said the fire had been brought under control, but crews needed to continue spraying water to prevent it from reigniting.

Firefighting foam was being used in the chemical-storage area. At locations where material continued to smoulder beneath debris, large excavators would be used to spread out the piles so firefighters could reach the remaining hot spots with water.

The factory had reportedly experienced two previous fires, although the damage on those occasions was less extensive. This third blaze was described as the most destructive.