A massive fire broke out on the rooftop of a three-storey building in the Bag Umrao Dulha locality of Old Bhopal on Monday afternoon. The intensity of the blaze was such that plumes of dense black smoke were visible from a radius of 10 kilometres across the city. The Fire Department received the alert at approximately 3:30 pm, prompting the dispatch of four fire tenders from Aishbagh and nearby stations. Fire-fighters battled the blaze for nearly 45 minutes before bringing it under complete control. Preliminary reports suggest that an illegal operation to extract oil by melting animal fat in furnaces was being conducted on the building’s rooftop. The fire reportedly ignited during this process and spread rapidly due to the large quantities of stored fat and extracted oil. Assistant Fire Officer Saurabh Kumar Patel confirmed that four fire vehicles were deployed to neutralise the threat. The rescue operation faced significant hurdles due to the geographical layout of the Aishbagh and Bag Umrao Dulha areas.

 

The narrow, congested lanes of the densely populated locality delayed the arrival of large fire tenders. Local police had to intervene to manage the crowds and clear the path for emergency vehicles to reach the site. Official statements Aishbagh Station House Officer (SHO) Sandeep Pawar stated that the building houses a mutton shop and a bakery on the ground floor. “The incident occurred on the upper floors. While the exact cause is yet to be determined, a detailed inspection will clarify the circumstances once the cooling process is complete. We are currently assessing the extent of the property damage,” Pawar said. Assistant Fire Officer Saurabh Kumar Patel added, “Upon receiving the information, our teams reached the spot immediately. The first floor of the building was residential, while work involving leather or similar materials was being carried out on the second floor. Initial findings suggest that welding work being performed in the vicinity may have sparked the fire. Our teams successfully extinguished the flames within 30 to 45 minutes, preventing further spread to adjacent structures.”