Two separate fires at Phakant in Burma's biggest jade mining area in Kachin State destroyed several houses, according to local sources.

The fire broke out in Kalattkone quarter in downtown Phakant at 6 a.m. local time yesterday and destroyed eight large houses, in the quarter, which was rented by five to six families, a resident of Kalattkone told KNG today.

She said that the fire broke out in a house rented by a woman rice seller in the quarter. The house is owned by the Gumding family and everything in most of the houses was destroyed.

Meanwhile, even as the fire ravaged the area, thieves stole certain items including a motorcycle of Chinese make from the resident while she was busy saving personal articles from the house.

Before the Kalattkone fire, another fire broke out at Maw One quarter in Phakant, on October 22 (Wednesday) at about 1:20 a.m. local time. The fire destroyed three houses in the quarter, local residents said.

Residents of Maw One said that the fire started from a labour camp inside Lauli Naw compound near the Buga Company's office owned by the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). Two houses of the nearby camp were also burnt down.

Before, the Maw One fire was extinguished by three firefighter cars from the Phakant fire brigade under Burma's ruling junta, local people tried to extinguish the fire with 30 bottles of fire extinguishers from the May Hnin Si passenger car station.

According to a general estimate of Phakant jade traders and residents, the total loss in the two separate fires in Phakant would amount to hundreds of millions of Kyat.