A residential home near Moulmein University was gutted by an electrical fire today, say eyewitnesses.

The home, located at 326, 8th Street, caught fire at noon after an electrical wire shorted out. Motorcycle taxi and trishaw drivers waiting for fares nearby were able to keep the fire from spreading. The contents of the home were mostly burned. The home, which is made of cinder blocks and zinc roofing, remains standing.

“The house is made of bricks and only one story, so the neighbors were able to stop the fire and save some things inside, plus prevent the fire from spreading to other houses,” said an eyewitness.

Two fire trucks from the Moulmein fire brigade arrived at the scene thirty minutes after the fire began. At that point, the fire was mostly contained and they were too late to be of any help.

Police arrived to investigate soon after the fire ended. According to a neighbor, they came to demand payment from the homeowner. It is common practice for the owners of burned houses to be arrested unless they pay police, said a Mudon resident whose neighbor once had to pay such a fine.

The government controlled New Light of Myanmar newspaper says there were 60 fires in Burma during November, including 41 “careless fires,” 13 electrical fires and 6 fires from arson. Last week, over 1,000 shops were destroyed in a fire at Moulmein’s second largest market. In response, Mon State authorities banned indoor cooking fires.