Fire at Solapur's Sat Rasta city bus depot burns three scrap buses, Diwali rocket blamed

A major fire broke out at the city bus depot in Sat Rasta, Solapur, on Wednesday (the 11th) night. A spark from a rocket fired during Diwali is said to have caused it. The incident, at around 10 pm, caused panic in the surrounding area.

One section of the depot is used to park buses that have completed their service life and are kept for scrapping. A large amount of grass had grown there and it was dry. The spark from a rocket set off in the area for Diwali is said to have fallen on this dry grass. The grass caught fire first, and the flames spread rapidly to the parked buses.

Once the seat covers of the buses caught fire, the blaze turned severe within minutes, and three buses were soon engulfed. Flames and clouds of smoke could be seen in the dark of the night. The fire also threatened the remaining buses at the depot and its main building.

On receiving information, firefighters of the municipal corporation reached the spot immediately. Given the intensity of the fire, water was sprayed forcefully with the help of four fire engines. The firefighters tried to keep the fire from spreading to other buses. The blaze was brought under control after an effort of about 20 to 25 minutes. As it was put out in time, the depot's main building and the other buses parked nearby were safe. Greater damage could have resulted had the fire spread further. No lives were lost.

Transport control officer Sarika Kulwar said the three buses that burned had completed their service life and had been kept at the depot for scrapping. Their engines, diesel and other important parts had already been removed, so the fire caused no major financial loss. On being informed, she visited the depot at night to take stock of the situation.

The incident has brought the issue of cleanliness and fire safety at the city bus depot into discussion. The scrap bus section is said to have had a great deal of dry grass, which is why the fire spread fast. People in the area say the risk of fire would have been lower had the grass in the depot premises been cut regularly. The incident has also made clear that, given the risk of fires from firecrackers during Diwali, special care is needed at public transport depots, parking areas and places where scrap material is stored.