Major fire razed standing wheat crop worth several lakhs of rupees in 26 acres of fields at Bakarpur
and Safipur villages in Mohali on Wednesday.
Another 6 acres of fields where wheat crop was already harvested and only husk remains were standing were also gripped in the inferno.
Mohali Fire Brigade got the first call at 1.30 pm followed by another call by Mohali Tehsildar at 1.45 pm, following which two fire tenders from Mohali and one from Dera Bassi were rushed to the adjoining villages, Mohali Fire Officer Mohan Lal Verma said.
Verma disclosed that timely action of the fire brigade prevented the flames to spread to the adjoining fields having standing wheat crop.
Fire reduced to ashes 22 acres of standing wheat crop ready for harvesting in Balbir Singh's fields and 4 acres in Mewa Singh's fields till 3 pm when it was brought under control. A short circuit from an electric motor in the fields sparked
the fire, revealed Verma on the basis of preliminary findings.