Kompong Phluk fire

Here's a bummer of a story. About a week ago a main section - like most of the northern half along "main street" - of Kompong Phluk burned to the ground. Kompong Phluk is a Tonle Sap lakeside village about thirty kilometers from Siem Reap and one where we have sent many a satisfied tourist for half-day visits.

According to reports, 182 houses were destroyed as a result of a fire that started when a 12-year-old girl was cooking rice unsupervised and apparently had, well, an accident of some sort.

I've seen photos of the damage and it is quite extensive.

During part of the year the town, which is comprised almost entirely of houses on stilts, is completely surrounded by water. Unfortunately, June is not part of that time.

Last weekend, the Linga Bar in Siem Reap held a fund-raiser for the town. When I return to Siem Reap next week I'll try to update this story, as well as offer some information on making donations or any kind of aid. As our guesthouse sends people to the village regularly, we will in some capacity get involved, but I will wait until I see firsthand the situation and decide what we will do from there.

No doubt new houses will go up at a fast and furious pace as any day now the lake will begin flowing back and by October the town will once again be surrounded by four to six meters of water.