E-Paper
Over 150 scrap shops gutted in Pune’s Kudalwadi fire outbreak
As per officials, the fire was doused by around 5.30 am on Saturday. The cool-down operation continued till late Saturday evening under heavy police force to control the crowd that had gathered at the spot
A major fire broke out at the Kudalwadi area in Pimpri-Chinchwad late Friday night, gutting more than 150 illegal scrap shops and godowns. Firefighters took five hours to control the blaze, said officials.
According to the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) fire brigade department, the alert call was received at around 12.48 am. Over 164 staff and 16 fire tenders from PCMC, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Mahindra Company were deployed to put out the fire. The cause of the blaze is yet to be ascertained and no casualties were reported.
As per officials, the fire was doused by around 5.30 am on Saturday. The cool-down operation continued till late Saturday evening under heavy police force to control the crowd that had gathered at the spot.
Balaji Vaidya, sub-fire officer, PCMC fire brigade, said, “As most shops and godowns were stacked closed to each other, the fire spread rapidly. The shops stored wooden material, scrap and inflammable chemical containers. The tenders had to make over 40 trips to refill water.”
Vaidya said most the shops and godowns in the area are illegal and operational for years. “They do not follow fire safety measures,” he said.
A fire incident was reported in the area in 2017 that gutted 80 scrap shops and godowns. Meanwhile, PCMC has been conducting a survey of commercial establishments operating sans fire compliance.
Shekhar Singh, municipal commissioner, PCMC, said, “All the shops in the locality are illegal and fortunately no casualty was reported. The civic body will take measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
“We will take action against the landowners who lease out their land to such scrap and godown owners who do not follow fire safety compliance and operate illegally,” he said.
