Fire engulfs 3 shops in Kharar

MOHALI: A major fire engulfed three shops in Sunny Enclave in Kharar on Saturday. Although no casualty was reported in the incident but short-circuit is being ascertained as the cause of fire, said the fire officer.

All the three shops were gutted to ashes which belonged to Gaurav Kumar, Yogesh Kumar and Rajinder Singh. The residents said that the fire tender got delayed otherwise the loss could have been lesser in the fire incident.

Gaurav, Yogesh and Rajinder said, “The smoke was spotted from one shop at around 3:30 pm and a call was made at the fire station. But the fire tenders reached at 3:55 pm and till then the fire had already spread across the other two adjoining shops. If MC had constructed a fire station in Kharar the reaction time can be reduced to 10 minutes.”

Firemen said that one fire tender was pressed into action after a call was received at 3:29 pm which took around 1:30 hours to douse the fire and reached back to Mohali fire station at 5 pm.

So far, the entire town, along with its periphery, including Kharar and Mullapur, depends on the lone fire station located at Phase I Mohali whereas Derabassi has a separate fire station to cater Zirakpur, Lalru and Banur, she said.

According to a study conducted by experts from PU, the average travel time of a fire tender from phase I fire station to Sector 78 is 20 to 25 minutes; to Kharar is 25 to 35 minutes and if there is traffic congestion the time increases. Similarly, fire tender takes an average of 35 to 40 minutes to reach Mullanpur. “This wastes the golden hour. If we have sub stations at Kharar, Mullapur and in Sector 78 the reaction time will reduce to half hence the tragedies can be averted,” said a fire officer.

The fire station in Mohali Phase I has 13 firefighting vehicles — three water tenders (5,000 litres each), four multipurpose tenders, one fire water boozer (20,000 litres), one Branto sky lift (height 56 metres), one rescue tender (equipped with cutters), one firefighting jeep and two motorcycles — to deal with any fire emergency in the area.