A major fire broke out Monday in an open space near the Sinhagad Road regional ward office that charred several portable plastic toilets. As many as four fire engines and three water tankers had to be pressed into service to bring the blaze under control. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
Fire officials suspect that the fire may have started due to garbage burning in the open and spread rapidly owing to strong winds. However, the exact cause is yet to be determined.
Devendra Potphode, chief fire officer at the Pune fire brigade, said, “We received a call at the control room at around 10.30 am about the fire having broken out. Our team rushed to the spot and found that plastic toilets and cable wires stored on the open ground had caught fire. The fire was brought under control within 20 minutes. A total 30 firefighters were deployed for the operation.”
The incident comes amid a rising number of such emergencies in the city. Over the past few months, the Pune fire brigade has addressed nearly 80 fire-related incidents every month. Authorities have urged residents to refrain from burning garbage in the open and report fire hazards immediately.
