A major fire broke out at Parekh Wada, a three-storey traditional wooden structure located near the Ram Mandir in Nana Peth, on Sunday night. The incident occurred just hours after Ram Navami celebrations were held at the adjacent temple.
No casualties were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation, said officials.
According to fire brigade officials, a distress call was received at around 8:08 pm. In total, 10 fire engines, four water tankers, two emergency rescue vehicles, and five additional tankers from the vehicle depot were pressed into service.
Fire chief Devendra Potphode was at the site, supervising the operation led by five officers and a team of 60 to 70 firefighters.
Officials said firefighting teams positioned vehicles on all three accessible sides of the wada to effectively tackle the blaze. After confirming the building was unoccupied, they evacuated residents from adjacent structures as a precaution due to the dense smoke. Several gas cylinders were also removed from the premises to prevent any risk of explosions.
The fire was brought under control within an hour. Cooling operations were underway late till evening to eliminate the possibility of reignition.
The incident took place in a congested market area where narrow lanes and ongoing roadwork made the firefighting operation more challenging.
