After raging for five days, Noida dump fire doused

The 150 firefighters, who were working round the clock to douse the flames, battling the smoke, are elated, but are still on alert

Noida:

The fire at the dumping ground in Sector 32, Noida was completely extinguished on Friday. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

A fire that was raging in an empty plot in Noida’s Sector 32 for five days was finally doused on Friday, fire officials said, adding that the operation involved around 150 firefighters and more than 4 million litres of water.

According to fire officials, the blaze started at around 6pm on Monday at a spot used as a dumping ground by the horticulture department, and added that the fire was “deliberately set” by unknown miscreants.

Dry leaves and branches at the open ground were 30 feet deep and kept feeding the fire, the officials said.

“All the 150 firefighters, who were working round the clock to douse the flames, battling the smoke, are elated, but are still on alert. They are hoping that the flames do not get reignited,” Noida chief fire officer Pradeep Kumar Chuabey said.

As a precautionary measure, two fire tenders have been stationed on the spot, he added.

“We are also using earthmovers to cover the whole area with damp mud so that fire does not get reignited. So far, we have used over 4 million litres of water to douse the flames,” Chaubey said.

To be sure, this is the same site where a huge fire had broken out in May 2023, which was finally doused following continuous firefighting efforts that lasted six days.

Asked whether any investigation will be launched to find the people who set fire to the site, Anand Mohan Singh, deputy director, horticulture department, Noida authority, said, “The incident happened on the evening of Holi. Hence, it is highly likely it was caused by someone under the influence of intoxicating substances. It is very difficult to identify such people. A decision to launch an investigation into finding the culprits has not been taken yet.”

Meanwhile, residents in the area heaved a sigh of relief.

“The whole locality had been reeling under a thick cloud of smoke since Monday but we are glad that the fire is under control now,” said NP Singh, president of Sector 35 Residents’ Welfare Association.