Valuables worth over ₹80 lakh were gutted reduced when a tyre shop caught fire on Indira Gandhi Road in Chikkamagaluru town early morning on Monday.
People in the locality noticed smoke at Malnad Tyres shop around 3.30 a.m. They informed the police and fire services. The personnel from Chikkamagaluru fire station rushed to the spot immediately. However, they had to struggle for about five hours to put off the blaze.
Besides three fire tenders of Chikkamagaluru, one each from Kadur, Shivamogga, Belur and Mudigere were called in. By the time the exercise was over it was 9 a.m. District Fire Officer K.P. Shashidhara told The Hindu that the fire occurred on the first floor of the three-storey building. Along with tyres, documents, furniture and some cash were burnt.
The officers suspect that the fire could be because of a short-circuit in the electric wire network inside the shop.
The owner of the shop has filed a complaint with Chikkamagaluru police.