8–10 furniture godowns in Bhiwandi gutted in massive fire

The blaze, which began in a single godown, rapidly spread to nearly eight to 10 adjacent units within minutes due to the highly flammable materials stored inside them

THANE: Several warehouses in Bhiwandi were gutted when a massive fire broke out at a furniture warehouse in the Chamunda Complex in Kasheli on Thursday morning. The blaze, which began in a single godown, rapidly spread to nearly eight to 10 adjacent units within minutes due to the highly flammable materials stored inside them.

Several warehouses in Bhiwandi were gutted when a massive fire broke out at a furniture warehouse in the Chamunda Complex in Kasheli on Thursday morning. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

Firefighters from the Bhiwandi Fire Station and the Thane Fire Station responded swiftly, deploying three fire engines from Bhiwandi and one from Thane. The fire was eventually brought under control after nearly three hours. While no casualties were reported, the incident caused significant financial damage, with losses estimated to be worth crores of rupees.

According to fire officials, Chamunda Complex, located along the Thane–Bhiwandi road near Kasheli Creek, is a major hub for storing furniture. The presence of inflammable items such as wooden furniture, and raw materials like foam, resin, and coir contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. Thick plumes of smoke were visible from a considerable distance, triggering panic among nearby warehouse owners.

Firefighters initially faced a shortage of water, which hampered operations briefly. The situation improved after additional water supply arrived via a tanker from the Thane Municipal Corporation.

Officials said that due to Gudi Padwa there was no traffic congestion on the Bhiwandi–Thane road, allowing the fire brigade to reach the spot within minutes. However, fire officials noted that the complex falls under a gram panchayat jurisdiction, where proper fire safety approvals and protocols were not followed.

Bapu Sonawane, fire officer at the Bhiwandi Fire Station,said, “We received the call about the fire in the godowns around 11:30am. The initial water shortage caused some delay, but the fire was controlled within three hours. We also had to exercise extra caution due to high-tension power lines passing above the godowns.”