BANGKOK – A group of mostly teenage protestors living along Klong San Saeb managed to set the canal on fire this afternoon without the use of lighter fluid.

Several early morning attempts by the local residents had initially failed. But after temperatures rose, and the refuse and sewage in the canal began to congeal with the stagnant water, a teenager dropped a single match from a pedestrian bridge, igniting the water and resulting in a small explosion.   

The fire then spread down the Klong all the way from the Jim Thompson House to Bo Bae Market. The toxic smoke and stench resulting from the burning water has reportedly driven thousands of slum dwellers from their homes into the Ratchaprasong area where they risk being shot.

Television footage also showed a dead dog, completely in flames, slowly floating down the canal.