Fire guts empty old Bhandari Wada in Pune's Guruwar Peth; firecracker suspected, no injuries

A fire broke out on Tuesday night in the old Bhandari Wada near Panch Howd in Guruwar Peth, Pune. A lit firecracker falling inside the mansion is believed to have caused it. The building was empty at the time, so no one was injured. The two-storey structure, however, was badly damaged.

The Pune Fire Brigade control room received the call about the fire at 10.38 pm on November 10. A fire engine was immediately sent from headquarters to Bhandari Wada, located at Survey No. 809.

When the firefighters arrived, the fire was raging on the upper floor of the old, vacant building. Before starting work, they checked with people nearby to make sure no one was trapped inside.

The mansion was in poor condition and at risk of collapse, so it was not safe to enter. The firefighters instead went into the adjoining mansion, climbed up with a ladder and sprayed water on the fire from there.

They kept the fire from spreading to nearby buildings and brought it under control in about 30 minutes.

Local residents told the fire brigade that a lit firecracker may have fallen into the mansion and started the fire. The cause has not yet been officially confirmed.

The operation was led by fire brigade officers Sanjay Ramteke and Prashant Gaikar. They were accompanied by about 20 personnel from headquarters and four fire engines. Police, Mahavitaran (Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited), the Pune Municipal Corporation's building demolition department and local residents also helped at the site.