Firecrackers blamed for five fires in Gondia around Diwali; shop loses Rs 2 lakh

Firecrackers caused losses for some residents of Gondia city during Diwali. Four fires were reported in the city on Sunday (8th), the day of Diwali, and one more on Monday (9th). The five incidents caused panic in the city.

The first fire broke out at Gaurakshan Market near Gandhi Pratima Chowk. A fire started at around 8:35 pm in Sanjay Chourasia's store room on the third floor. Vehicles, furniture and other goods kept in the room were reduced to ashes. The loss was about Rs 50,000.

The second incident was in the Mararatoli area. Borewell pipes kept in an open space caught fire at around 8:10 pm. The loss was about Rs 10,000.

The third incident took place in the Kanhartoli area, opposite J.M. School. Bamboo, straw, sackcloth and other materials kept in a Durga Mata pandal caught fire at around 9 pm. The fourth took place in Premgali in the Railtoli area, where a heap of garbage lying on the road caught fire at around 1 am.

Firecrackers are suspected to be the cause of the fires in all these incidents. Fire officer Niraj Kale, leading firemen Lokchand Bhendarkar and Chhabilal Patle, firemen Kamal Rakhade, Mukesh Mane, Sitaram Gautam and Akash Garg, and drivers Lokchand Kawle, Jitendra Gaur, Ashok Kamble and Nilesh Chavan brought the fires under control in time. This averted bigger incidents.

On Monday (9th) at around 9 pm, a fire broke out suddenly on the second floor of Akash Readymade shop, near Dr Mohan's hospital in the Ganeshnagar area. The shop owner, Akash Anwani, informed the fire brigade, which reached the spot and brought the fire under control.

Raincoats, flags, gunny sacks and other goods in the shop were burnt, causing a loss of about Rs 2 lakh. Because the fire was controlled in time, a loss of about Rs 23 lakh was averted; otherwise a major accident could have occurred. The preliminary assessment is that a firecracker had landed on the second floor and set off the fire.