Faulting wiring is being blamed for the conflagration that consumed this Koh Samet School.
Rayong police were notified about the blaze at Koh Kaew Pitsadan School around 3:30 p.m. Oct. 13. By the time authorities traveled to the island, the schoolhouse was fully engulfed. With no fire station, or even fire truck on the popular tourist resort island, the school quickly burned to the ground.
Paint stored at the wooden-and-concrete building opened by HRH the Princess Mother in 1971 is believed to have fueled the fast-moving fire. Tourists first alerted authorities to smoke, but it was dismissed as someone burning garbage. As the flames grew, locals finally responded, bringing what water they had in six-wheel water truck from the Koh Samet National Park. It was too little, too late.
School was not in session at the time, so no one was injured. But damage was estimated at 2 million baht. An electrical short is being blamed for the fire, but an investigation is under way.
