Kheda: A sudden and massive fire broke out at a plastic godown near the bus station in Kheda city on Friday afternoon, sending thick black smoke billowing for over a kilometer and causing panic in the surrounding area. The blaze, which quickly engulfed the warehouse, required a multi-agency response to bring it under control.
As many as 8 to 10 fire tenders from Kheda, Nadiad, Dholka, Ahmedabad, ONGC, Mehmadabad, and even Chiripal Company rushed to the spot. Two high-capacity water browsers from the Nadiad Fire Brigade were among the first to respond.
“The fire was massive due to the plastic stock. But thanks to prompt action, there were no casualties. Most of the fire is under control now,” said Chirag Gadhvi, Fire Officer, Nadiad Municipal Corporation. “We received the emergency call around 2:40 pm. Our priority is dousing the fire, after which we will investigate whether fire safety systems were in place.”
Local MLA Kalpesh Parmar also arrived at the site and confirmed there was no loss of life. “It’s a major fire, but it hasn’t spread to densely populated residential areas. There was some impact on a nearby hut, but thankfully everyone is safe,” he said.
To prevent further hazards, the electricity supply in the surrounding areas was suspended as a precautionary measure. “We had to stop power to nearby locations to ensure public safety,” said a representative from the local electricity board.
People living in nearby slums and shopkeepers panicked as flames rose high above the warehouse roof. “We ran out with our children. The flames were huge, and we feared they’d reach our huts,” said Suresh, a local resident.
A nearby hut also caught fire, but firefighters managed to prevent the flames from spreading further. Currently, water jets are being sprayed from all four directions of the godown, and crowd control is being managed by local police.
Preliminary reports suggest the fire may have originated in the plastic storage area and later spread to a nearby rice mill. Officials suspect the lack of proper fire-fighting systems in the facility may have worsened the situation.
