CHIANG RAI – A devastating fire engulfed a pet store and warehouse in Mae Sai district on Monday night, killing numerous caged animals and causing significant property damage. The blaze broke out at Ploy Pla Tu and Pet Mart, a major supplier of pets and animal essentials in the area, located in Ban Pa Yang in tambon Mae Sai.
Firefighters and police arrived at the scene around 9 p.m., where they encountered flames spreading rapidly through the single-story building. The fire was fueled by flammable pet food stored in sacks, police reported. The premises were locked with roller shutters, forcing firefighters to break into the building to reach the source of the blaze. It took an hour to extinguish the flames and prevent them from reigniting.
While employees managed to rescue some animals, many birds, hamsters, rabbits, turtles, and ornamental fish succumbed to the smoke and flames. The exact number of animal fatalities remains unknown. Witnesses reported seeing smoke emerging from the shop shortly before 9 p.m., followed by flames that quickly intensified.
The shop owner, Sirilak Nanthatheerapong, whose house is located about 10 meters from the warehouse, said she and her neighbors rushed to move their cars as smoke filled the area. Still in shock, Ms. Sirilak recounted that her business had recently recovered from severe flooding in September, which caused over a million baht in damage. This fire, however, left nothing salvageable, with losses estimated at over 30 million baht.
Initial investigations suggest the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. Chiang Rai forensic police are continuing their examination of the site.
