Fire in locked 26th-floor flat in Thane's Kalwa; no one hurt, separate blaze at Wagle Estate

A fire broke out in a flat of a residential building in Kalwa, Thane, on Sunday evening, November 8. The incident took place on the 26th floor of the Aashar Arize building in Kharegaon. No one is reported to have been injured.

The fire was reported at around 8.05 pm. The 40-storey building stands behind Sahyadri School. The fire broke out in room number 2603 in its B wing. According to the fire brigade, the flat was locked at the time and only the furniture inside caught fire.

On receiving the information, a fire brigade team reached the spot with one fire engine and one rescue vehicle. The disaster management cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation also arrived with a pickup vehicle. Personnel of the disaster response force and Kalwa police were also deployed to help.

The fire brigade, the disaster management cell and the disaster response force worked together, and the fire was completely extinguished at around 8.55 pm. The fire remained confined to the furniture inside the locked flat and the situation was brought under control.

A separate fire broke out in Thane the same night. The blaze erupted at around 8.30 pm on Sunday, Diwali day, in Carlyle, a 17-storey building in the Raheja Garden complex in the Wagle Estate area. The building has 28 flats. Officials said on Monday that around 50 people were evacuated.

Yasin Tadvi, head of the regional disaster management cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation, said no lives were lost. The fire had spread from the 7th to the 14th floor and into the building's duct. Several fire engines, two sky-lift fire engines, water tankers and ambulances were deployed to extinguish it and evacuate residents. Firefighters of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation also joined the relief work.

According to Tadvi, modern methods such as drones were used to pinpoint the source of the fire and to find people trapped on the upper floors. The stranded residents were brought out through the building's terrace and designated safe areas. The fire was brought under control by 2.30 am on Monday and cooling work was under way. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

Deputy Chief Minister and Thane Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde reached the spot to oversee the relief work and take stock of the situation. Thane MP Naresh Mhaske, Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao, Collector Shrikrishna Panchal and Mayor Sharmila Pimplolkar also visited the site.