NONTHABURI — 17 August 2026, Two people believed to be a husband and wife were found dead inside a house in Nonthaburi after a fire tore through the second floor late Sunday night, with authorities discovering petrol spread across parts of the property and a 20-litre fuel container near the stairs.
Police at Bang Si Mueang Police Station were alerted to the fire at about 00:30 on Monday at a two-storey detached house in a residential estate in Bang Si Mueang subdistrict, Mueang district.
Firefighters from Bang Si Mueang and Bang Krang municipalities responded with three water trucks. When they arrived, flames were burning through the second floor of the roughly 80-square-wah property.
Crews took more than 30 minutes to bring the fire under control.
After the flames were extinguished, officials found that the ground floor had not suffered significant fire damage, but petrol had apparently been poured across the floor. A 20-litre fuel container was found near the stairs leading to the second floor.
The upstairs room was badly damaged by fire, with windows shattered by the heat.
Inside a bedroom, rescuers found the bodies of two people lying on their backs on a bed. Both bodies were severely burned.
A charcoal stove that appeared to have been used was also found inside a bathroom, with only ashes remaining.
Several cats were found dead throughout the house. Officials later said eight cats had died, while two surviving cats were taken to an animal hospital for treatment.
Tossaphon Fakpraphai, secretary to the mayor of Bang Si Mueang municipality, said firefighters encountered difficulties after entering the house because of the petrol.
He said water sprayed during firefighting caused the fuel to flow with it, making it difficult for crews to reach the second floor.
A 24-year-old neighbour, identified only as Ping, said she initially heard what sounded like a heavy object falling before noticing smoke coming from the house.
She said she first thought she had heard an explosion, but later realised the sound appeared to have been part of the ceiling near the parking area collapsing.
Ping said neighbours smelled petrol and began calling firefighters, police and rescue services while attempting to contact the homeowners, but could not reach them.
She said security guards later arrived to assess the situation before a window near the burning room shattered due to the heat.
According to Ping, the fire appeared to have started at around 23:50, initially producing only smoke before flames became visible.
She said the two people living at the house were a married couple who lived there with several cats.
Officials initially determined that both victims died in the fire, but their identities could not immediately be confirmed because identification documents inside the home had been destroyed.
Their bodies were sent to the Central Institute of Forensic Science for autopsies to determine the exact cause of death.
Police said they would coordinate with the housing estate management to confirm the identities of the two residents and contact their relatives.
Forensic police are also expected to conduct a further examination of the house as investigators work to determine the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
