A fire on the hospital compound in Mudon Town gutted the staff quarters today at noon. The fire started after an electrical wire shorted out, and burned for about a half-hour, said a Mudon resident who watched the fire.

None of the staff were present, but the fire was seen and eventually contained by a neighbor. The cinder block building remains standing, but virtually nothing inside remains to be salvaged, said the same source.

According to another source, who lives near the hospital, the Mudon Town fire truck arrived at least forty minutes after the fire began, and at least ten after it had been contained.

“The fire truck was late. Whenever a fire burns, the fire truck is always,” said another Mudon resident.

The Mudon fire truck is housed at the fire station, just a three-minute drive away, said a Mudon resident. A second fire truck, located less than 5 kilometers away in Nyaung-gone village, never arrived. The truck was purchased just last week, after residents of Nyaung-gone, Wet Tae and Kangale villages were forced to make donations of 5,000 to 10,000 kyat.

Fire trucks also failed to arrive in time to contain a large fire in Moulmein’s second largest market on Monday. The fire destroyed 1,000 shops.