Fire at saw mill triggers panic

Prabhat Katiyar
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 16

Panic gripped residents of Raipur Khurd after a fire broke out at a saw mill near the old Airport traffic light point in the wee hours of today. However, no loss of life was reported in the incident.

It has been learnt that a huge stock of wood perished in the fire. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

According to an eyewitness, the fire broke out around 2 am. Till 2.30 am, the fire had engulfed a huge area at the saw mill. The entire area was engulfed in thick smoke, creating panic among residents.

The Fire Department received a call about the incident at 2.06 am. Two fire engines reached the spot at 2.10 am. Seeing the gravity of the situation, a water bowser was also pressed into service to douse the flames. The firefighting operation started at 2.10 am and lasted till 5 am.

Firemen had a tough time extinguishing the flames as the fire spread rapidly in the logs of wood due to high-velocity winds.

After a struggle of around 45 minutes, the flames were partially doused at 2.57 am. The fire was completely brought under control by 5 am. The entire operation was carried under the supervision of fire officers Jagdeep Singh and Pramod Kumar.

Fire officer Jagdeep Singh from the Industrial Area, Phase 1, said, “Fire tenders from Phase 1 and Ram Darbar were pressed into service. Thirteen firemen were involved in the operation. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The flames, which could have been brought under control in 15-20 minutes, took around 45 minutes due to strong winds”.

Pramod Kumar, another fire officer from the Industrial Area, Phase 1, said: “Firefighters controlled the blaze before it could cause much damage. No casualty was reported in the mishap. No major loss was reported and no complaint was lodged in this regard”.

Later, logs of wood were removed with the help of a crane to make sure that the fire did not spread again.

Rajinder, who runs the mill and stays at Dhanas, said he came to know about the incident around 2.30 am after his staff members informed him about the fire. The quantum of loss was yet to be ascertained as the evaluation process was on till the filing of this report.

Asked about fire-safety arrangements at the saw mill, he told Chandigarh Tribune that they had made a temporary water pond to meet any emergency.

Vinod Vashisht, a former officer of the ITBP and local resident, said, “It was the most horrible night of our life. We faced a near-death experience and feared damage to our property. My family and I suddenly woke up with the fumes of burning wood behind the wall of our backyard. We were shocked to see the devastating fire. We immediately contacted the police and the Fire Department.”

She said, “Logs of wood are stored close to our backyard wall. The fire spread at a fast pace due to strong winds. Our house and the entire society were under a thick blanket of smoke. Quick action by the police and firemen averted a major tragedy”.