A small fire broke out at Mandalay’s U Bein Bridge around 2pm this past Saturday.
As is unfortunately often the case, the fire was a result of a visitor dropping a cigarette butt into one of the bridge’s hollow pillars. According to authorities, the origin of the fire was somewhere between pillars number 315 and 360.
A vendor who sells on the bridge told 7Day that the flames appeared out of nowhere. Thankfully, fast-working bystanders were able to douse the fire with water from water bottles.
“People leave tissues and other trash inside these pillars so as soon as it comes into contact with fire, flames start up. This kind of incident usually happens when it gets busy,” the vendor explained.
Officials confirmed that a similar fire also took place roughly two months ago and burned down five pillars. The open hollow pillars have long been criticized for precisely these reasons, with local organizations repeatedly stating that they should be sealed off.
Considering that the bridge features 1,086 pillars, that’s a whole lot of potential fire hazards right there.
