Chandigarh: Blaze rips through Sector-52 house, power lines hold up fire truck
By the time, the team reached the building, the fire had already consumed the home of tenants Dinesh and his wife, Muskan, who were not present at the time of the incident
A massive fire tore through a second-floor house in Sector 52 on Friday morning, gutting nearly all household belongings and leaving the walls blackened with soot.
The blaze, which broke out around 11.50 am, reduced clothes, furniture, bedding and cash to ashes, causing extensive damage before firefighters could bring it under control. However, a potential cylinder explosion was averted.
The firefighting effort was hampered by a 15-minute delay as congested lanes and low-hanging power lines obstructed the entry of fire tenders. Despite responding to the scene promptly, firefighters had to wait for the electricity department to disconnect the supply before they could move in by safely lifting the wires.
By the time, the team reached the building, the fire had already consumed the home of tenants Dinesh and his wife, Muskan, who were not present at the time of the incident.
Approximately four fire tenders were rushed to the scene to tackle the blaze, including a larger vehicle despatched from the Sector 17 fire station. However, officials reported that the bigger tender, the first one to arrive, struggled to enter the narrow lanes of the Sector 52 colony due to tightly packed houses and low-hanging overhead electricity wires.
Officials confirmed that an LPG cylinder was removed from the house just in the nick of time, preventing what could have been a deadly explosion. “Had the cylinder burst, the impact could have damaged nearby homes,” said a fire officer present at the scene.
Senior officers from the fire and police departments arrived shortly after to monitor the situation. While the fire was brought under control, the exact cause remains unknown and is under investigation.
Hitesh Puri, Chairman, CRAWFED, expressing concern over the delay, said, “There should be no encroachments on narrow lanes that hinder movement of fire tenders and all overhead electricity wires must be shifted underground to ensure swift emergency response. All fire tenders are large and face trouble navigating these congested streets.”
Short-circuit sparks fire at Sector 34 office
Another fire was reported at the National Insurance Company office located on the third floor of SCO 332-334 in Sector 34 around 9 am on Friday, leading to the destruction of important office equipment and records.
According to fire department officials, the blaze originated due to a suspected short-circuit in one of the rooms of the office. The fire quickly spread, damaging several electronic devices, including an air conditioner, computer, printer and a ceiling fan. Numerous files and official documents were also reduced to ashes before the flames could be contained.
Two fire tenders from the local fire station were rushed to the scene under the supervision of station fire officer Dalip Singh. “It appeared to be an electrical short-circuit. The fire was contained in time, but significant damage was done to the office infrastructure and records,” said a fire officer present at the spot.
Office staff had not arrived for the day when the fire broke out, preventing any injuries.
Fire ravages Sector-82 pizzeria
Mohali A fire broke at the La Pino’z outlet in Sector 82, Mohali, on Thursday night, reducing goods worth lakhs to ashes.
According to showroom owner Ankur Aggarwal, the fire started at night and engulfed the entire store within minutes. The blaze caused an estimated loss of around ₹30 lakh, he said.
As per a fire officer, they received an alert around 4 am and one fire tender was pressed into service. It took firefighters around 30 minutes to douse the flames. Though the exact reason of the fire has yet to be ascertained, it seems to have been caused by a short-circuit.
Four motorcycles, a scooter used for delivery, a generator, air-conditioners and other electronic equipment kept inside the showroom were completely destroyed in the fire. Upon receiving information, police officials also reached the site and assisted the fire department in controlling the situation.
