NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, THAILAND – A nighttime fire at a pier in Khanom heavily damaged several large fishing boats and triggered a major emergency response.
Fire alarm shortly after midnight
Emergency teams were called at 12:10 a.m. on 20 March to a serious blaze in the Soi Pa Len 17 area of Khanom municipality in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. When firefighters and rescue workers arrived at Chao-Tha Pier, several boats were already in flames and thick black smoke was spreading across the area.
According to initial reports, the fire started on a large fishing boat moored directly next to other vessels. Strong wind and the nighttime heat helped the flames spread within a short time to neighboring boats along the pier.
Three municipalities send firefighting support
To reinforce the operation, vehicles and water tanks were dispatched from the Khanom Subdistrict Municipality, the Thong Nian Subdistrict Municipality and the Ao Khanom Subdistrict Municipality. Several units worked in parallel along the pier to contain the blaze and prevent it from engulfing the entire jetty.
Firefighters, rescue services and multiple agencies battled the flames, smoke and fuel on board for hours. Their efforts focused on securing the immediate surroundings of the burning boats while maintaining access routes for additional equipment and water supplies.
Fuel on board raised risk of explosions
A central challenge for the operation was the type of vessels involved. The affected ships were large fishing boats carrying fuel and other easily flammable materials, which significantly increased the risk on site.
Teams had to cool and extinguish the boats in a targeted manner and under high time pressure. Their aim was to avoid explosions and to keep the advancing wall of flames away from further vessels in the harbor area.
Multiple boats damaged, no casualties initially reported
A first assessment found that several large fishing boats had been severely damaged by the fire. However, by morning there were no official reports of injuries or fatalities in connection with the incident.
The exact cause of the fire on the first boat was initially unclear. Authorities stated that further details on the origin of the blaze would follow once reliable information was available.
Ongoing questions about pier safety
The incident again highlighted how quickly wind, closely moored boats and fuel can turn a local flame at a pier into a large-scale fire. The situation at Chao-Tha Pier raised broader questions about mandatory safety rules and inspections at harbors and mooring facilities in coastal towns.
The episode underscored the importance of reviewing practical gaps in fire prevention and emergency planning at such locations, especially where multiple fuel-laden fishing vessels are anchored side by side.