Morning blaze at Cummins Sales and Services caused massive damage to office because of late detection, feels fire brigade

Fire extinguisher, but no detectors

Morning blaze at Cummins Sales and Services caused massive damage to office because of late detection, feels fire brigade

The absence of fire and smoke detecting equipment at Cummins Sales and Services Ltd in Patwardhan Baug, Erandawane, resulted in massive damage to the office when a fire broke out early in the morning yesterday.

The fire on the first floor in the IT section also resulted in damage to the second floor.
As the steel beams of the first-floor ceiling melted, the ceiling caved in. Furniture and wooden partitions were found distorted after the fire was doused.

Call at 7.11 am
"We received a call at 7.11 am. But considering the damage it caused, we feel the fire erupted much earlier and
the security guards realised it late," said Gajanan Pathrudkar, Station Duty Officer, Kothrud Fire Station. "The company had risers and a fire extinguishing system in place, but if they would have installed fire and smoke detectors, they would have been able to detect and control the fire before it spread."

Pathrudkar said 20 fire officials installed a ladder to reach the first floor and got inside after smashing the windowpanes. He added that the fire brigade brought the blaze under control with the help of two fire engines and one water tanker within 20 minutes of reaching the spot.

Deepak Pawar, the trainee who informed the fire brigade after he noticed smoke coming out of the first floor said," I noticed the flames erupting from the first floor. I was scared and I immediately informed the fire brigade."

Lensmen manhandled
Security guards on the company premises thrashed media photographers who were covering the fire.
Several photographers, who did not wish to be named, complained they were manhandled by the security guards as they went about their job of covering the fire incident.