Fire breaks out at scrap godown in Himachal's Baddi

A massive fire broke out at a scrap godown located on Chakka Road in Baddi after a local resident set ablaze a heap of farm residue in a nearby field on Thursday morning.

Strong winds contributed to the rapid spread of the flames from the field to the nearby godown, which was in the process of being vacated. A large quantity of inflammable material, including chemical-laced drums, corrugated boxes, plastics, and metals like copper and aluminium, had been left outside. The fire caught hold in no time, and thick black plumes of smoke were soon seen billowing from the site.

Santosh Sharma, Commandant of the Home Guards, said that three fire tenders from Baddi and two from Nalagarh were dispatched to bring the fire under control.

Preliminary estimates suggest losses running into lakhs, as a significant portion of the scrap material was destroyed.

Although the fire was contained by 11:00 am, three fire tenders remained stationed at the site as a precautionary measure.