Prompt action prevents two fires from spreading

Timely action by staff accompanying a fire tender parked at Gurdwara Tahliana Sahib prevented two accidental fires from spreading to surrounding premises in densely-populated localities of the town on Thursday night.

However, goods and equipment worth lakhs, belonging to a private firm were burnt completely when the godown situated near Committee Gate caught fire at about midnight. Three fire tenders were engaged to douse the massive fire that was controlled at about 4 am today.

Had the administration not bothered to requisition one fire tender from the Mullanpur Municipal Council and kept it ready at Gurdwara Tahliana Sahib, losses could have been higher due to delay in rescue operation.

Fireman Jagir Ram said his team had prevented one accidental fire that was caused due to a cracker falling on garbage dumped on a plot behind the premises of the municipal council on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. “Had we not reached to douse the flame promptly, it could have spread to adjoining buildings and a petrol pump,” Jagir Ram said, adding that the fire was controlled due to the easy availability of the vehicle.

According to Jagir Ram, three fire tenders were pressed into service to control fire at a godown belonging to a private firm Bansal Enterprises.

“As we had reached the spot immediately after receiving the information, our team succeeded in preventing the flames from spreading to surrounding buildings,” Ram said, adding two more vehicles, one each from Jagraon and Mullanpur worked for about four hours to completely control the fire.

Though the exact cause behind the fire and amount of loss suffered by the owners is yet to be assessed, it is suspected that goods, buildings and equipment worth lakhs were damaged in the fire caused due to fireworks.

Harpreet Singh, an inspector at Raikot Municipal Council said that one of the two fire tenders at Mullanpur Municipal Council had been requisitioned for any emergency at the local town as a proactive measure and two major fires were prevented from spreading adjoining buildings last night.

“The staff at the Fire Brigade has been advised to be alert tonight as well as a large number of people will be celebrating Diwali today,” Singh said.