Fire destroys two godowns in Bhiwandi, Mumbai

A major fire broke out in Bhiwandi around 2.30am on Tuesday, gutting two ground-plus-one storey chemical and rubber godowns. No casualties were reported. Prima facie, short-circuit was suspected to be the cause.

The fire that broke out in Gayatri compound in Prerna complex near Anjur Phata in Val village was brought under control by 9.30am. The cooling operations went on till late in the evening.

Apart from the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC), five fire tenders from Thane, Kalyan, Ulhasnagar and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), too, were pressed into service. In the evening, two more foam tenders were sent to the spot from Mumbai. Foam tenders prevent liquid spills from igniting.

According to fire officials, the blaze spread to at least 1 lakh sqft area. “Initially, the rubber godown caught fire, which spread to the nearby chemical godown,” said D Salvi, chief fire officer, BNCMC. “The road leading to the units was in bad condition. Rain in the evening, too, affected the firefighting work.”

There are four fire stations of BNCMC, which cater to approximately 13 to 14 lakh people. The fire department has four fire tenders out of which one is under repair. “Tuesday’s fire was reported from a gram panchayat village, just like 90% of the cases. These villages don’t have a dedicated fire department. As we are the nearest fire brigade, we take the call,” said Salvi.

BNCMC commissioner Ashok Rankhambh said,” There is a need for another fire station for rural areas. We have sent a revised proposal for a fire station to the MMRDA.”