The fire raged for over an hour before it was brought under control, officials said. (Representational image)A fire broke out in the Aadharwadi dumping ground in Kalyan on Friday. It raged for over an hour before it was brought under control, officials said. Residents complained that the smoke led to a drop in visibility and breathing problems.
The fire broke out around 3.30 pm, officials said. “The fire brigade responded immediately but the fire grew rapidly. Four fire tankers were deployed to douse the flames,” said a KDMC official.
However, the smoke emitting from the blaze inconvenienced residents. “Children playing outside returned home with runny noses and itchy eyes after smoke engulfed the surroundings. We thought that the fire has spread…,” said Prajakta Koli, a resident.
A fire brigade official said the cause of the fire is unknown. “We will check if the fire was caused naturally or if it was an act of mischief,” said a fire officer.
In another incident, nearly 25,000 plants were burnt in Ambernath by “anti-social elements”, Shiv Sena leaders claimed on Friday. “Just a couple of days ago, we had protested against the forest authorities but instead of taking action, more trees have been burnt,” said MLA Shrikant Shinde said. He demanded a CBI inquiry in the matter.
