Fire at Pune Fashion Street: 600 stalls destroyed, major damage to property

CLOSE TO 600 stalls were damaged in a major fire at Fashion Street in Pune Camp late on Friday. The control room of the Pune fire brigade received a call around 11 pm about a fire at Fashion Street, a place well known for stalls selling garments and other items.

No casualties were reported in the incident.

Soon, teams of the Central Fire Brigade and Cantonment Fire Brigade rushed to the spot. As many as 18 fire tenders and several water tankers were pressed into service.

“Two quick response teams were additionally deployed at the site. After rigorous firefighting operations, the situation was brought under control around 2 am on Saturday. More than 600 stalls have been destroyed in the fire incident,” read a statement issued by the Pune Cantonment Board.

Even though the fire was extinguished, the “cooling operation” went on for several hours. “The exact cause of fire is yet to be ascertained. The possibility of a short circuit cannot be ruled out. No casualties were reported in the incident,” said Prashant Ranpise, chief fire officer.

The incident caused panic in the area as massive flames emerging from the spot were visible at a long distance.

On receiving information, stall owners and workers rushed to the spot, but could not do much to save their properties and valuables.

Residential areas adjoining Fashion Street also suffered some damage. Officials said the fire melted some water and sewage pipes, plastic tanks used for water storage and some other items in adjoining houses.

Police force was deployed at the spot to control the crowd, while traffic was diverted from East Street and MG Road in Pune Camp for some time as passers-by started gathering at the scene of the fire in massive numbers.

The PCB statement also mentioned, “The matter of Fashion Street would be placed before the board for further necessary action. The district administration would be requested to release compensation out of the Disaster Relief Fund.”