A major fire erupted late Friday night at a furniture manufacturing unit, Shubham Enterprises, situated in Sector 7-D of the Govindpura Industrial Area. The incident triggered a massive emergency response that lasted for approximately nine hours, as fire crews struggled to contain the flames fuelled by large quantities of timber, plywood, chemicals, and thinner stored within the factory premises. The blaze, which began around 12:30 am, was not fully contained until Saturday morning, leaving behind widespread destruction and property damage estimated in the crores.

 

Information regarding the fire reached the municipal fire department around 2:30 am, approximately two hours after the ignition. By the time emergency crews arrived, the fire had already engulfed the entire factory structure. The presence of highly combustible materials, including chemical thinners and finished wooden products, exacerbated the intensity of the flames, creating a challenging environment for the firefighting personnel who worked throughout the night. The firefighting operation involved a co-ordinated effort from multiple fire stations across the city, including units from Gandhinagar, Govindpura, Kolar, Bairagarh, Fatehgarh, ISBT, and Kabadkhana.

 

More than 50 officials and firefighters, led by fire officer Saurabh Patel, firefighter Pankaj Yadav, and assistant in-charge Vijay Tripathi, managed the deployment of over 70 water tankers and fire tenders. Due to the rapid intensification of the blaze, firefighters utilised two JCB machines to partially dismantle portions of the factory structure, allowing them to access and separate the burning timber and chemicals to douse the deep-seated flames. Protecting the surrounding industrial units remained a primary priority throughout the night. As the factory shares boundaries with three to four other industrial establishments, the firefighting teams focused their efforts on spraying water on connecting structural points to prevent the fire from spreading. This strategic intervention successfully averted a much larger industrial disaster, ensuring that the blaze remained confined to the original property.

 

Although the fire was brought under control by Saturday morning, emergency crews remained stationed at the site as a precautionary measure, as smoke continued to emanate from the debris until the afternoon. Fortunately, the factory was unoccupied at the time of the incident, resulting in no casualties or injuries. Preliminary investigations conducted by police and fire authorities suggest that a short circuit may have been the cause of the fire, though a formal inquiry is currently underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the incident. BMC’s Fire Officer Saurabh Patel estimate that the fire caused losses worth several crores of rupees. The exact cause of the blaze remains unknown, and police have launched an investigation into the incident.