A popular Siem Reap silk producer and tourist attraction was this week counting the cost of a fire that destroyed a stockroom and required crews from four fire engines to control.

The fire ripped through a rice field and then burned down the building at the Angkor Silk Farm located in Pouk district on Thursday, said Meas Sang, director of the provincial fire department.

“Luckily, no one was hurt and the fire didn’t spread, because we controlled it on time,” he said.The fire might have been started by children, Sang suggested.

The Angkor Silk Farm offers free guided tours of the silk production process – from mulberry bush cultivation to the production of silk fabrics and accessories – and covers an area of 8 hectares, of which 5 hectares are used for the mulberry tree plantation.

The farm’s spokesman, Som Chenda, said the fire caused about $25,000 worth of damage. He said the incident highlighted the need for better fire services.

“The fire ripped through the building quickly because of the strong wind, and the fire truck was away from the district. If we had one in the district … the fire would not have destroyed everything inside,” he said.