On August 14, 2025, at around 4:58 am, a fire broke out in Parsik Café located on the ground floor of Chandrabhaga Park (B-Wing), a six-storey residential building in Parsik Nagar, Kalwa (West), Thane.
The blaze gutted furniture, fridges, cupboards, and other materials in the roughly 1,000 sq ft café unit.
Fire brigade and disaster management teams evacuated 35 residents from the upper floors to safety.
The flames were brought under control by 6:25 am, preventing structural damage to the building.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by Thane authorities.
Location & Building Profile
Chandrabhaga Park (B-Wing) is a mixed-use six-storey structure in a densely populated area of Kalwa. The ground floor is used for commercial purposes, while upper floors serve as residential apartments. The café, approximately 1,000 sq ft in size, was well-known in the locality for serving breakfast and snacks. Like many urban buildings in Thane, the proximity of commercial kitchens to residential living spaces presents an elevated fire risk.
Cause & Nature of Fire
The official cause remains under investigation. However, preliminary assessments suggest the following possibilities:
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Electrical short-circuit due to high-load kitchen appliances operating overnight or early morning.
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Possible LPG leakage ignited by a kitchen flame or spark.
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Overheated equipment or poor maintenance of wiring and exhaust systems.
The fire destroyed:
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Tables, chairs, and wooden fixtures.
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Refrigerators, cupboards, and storage units.
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Cooking appliances and other café equipment.
Emergency Response & Evacuation
The TMC Disaster Management Cell and Thane Fire Brigade demonstrated textbook emergency handling:
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Rapid deployment – reaching within minutes of the distress call.
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Evacuation strategy – splitting teams to simultaneously attack the fire and clear upper floors.
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Smoke management – use of positive pressure ventilation to push smoke out of stairwells.
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Casualty prevention – prioritising the elderly, children, and those on higher floors for immediate evacuation.
Broader Fire Safety Concerns
This incident reinforces critical safety lessons for mixed-use buildings:
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Fire alarm interlinking – Ground-floor commercial alarms should trigger alerts in residential upper floors.
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Kitchen safety – Mandatory wet chemical suppression systems for grease fires.
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Regular inspections – Electrical and LPG lines should be tested quarterly.
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Evacuation drills – Residents should be trained on smoke-avoidance and safe exits.
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Regulatory compliance – Building owners must ensure all commercial tenants maintain updated fire NOCs and safety equipment.
Lessons Learned & Recommendations
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Preventive Maintenance: Fire risks can be drastically reduced through periodic checks of wiring, appliances, and fuel systems.
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Public Awareness: Residents should be aware of evacuation routes and safe assembly points.
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Rapid Communication: The café owner’s immediate call to authorities likely prevented the situation from escalating into a major tragedy.
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Mixed-Use Zoning Review: Authorities should reassess safety codes for buildings with both residential and commercial occupancy.
Conclusion
The Parsik Café fire in Thane’s Kalwa area is a powerful reminder of both the vulnerabilities in our urban infrastructure and the value of swift, coordinated emergency response. While the café suffered heavy losses, the zero-casualty outcome reflects the professionalism of the Thane Fire Brigade and TMC Disaster Management Cell.
The incident should prompt stricter enforcement of fire safety norms, particularly in mixed-use buildings where a single ground-floor blaze can endanger dozens of lives above. It is a wake-up call for café owners, residents, and city regulators alike — prevention, preparedness, and rapid response remain the three pillars of urban fire safety.
