Ludhiana: A fierce fire tore through a scrap godown in the Kanganwal industrial hub on Tuesday morning, destroying heavy vehicles and sending plumes of thick black smoke across the city skyline.While the blaze caused significant property damage, fire officials confirmed there were no casualties or injuries. The alarm was raised at about 7.45am, with fire tenders from the Focal Point station arriving first on the scene. Upon discovering an “intense” inferno fueled by industrial materials, crews immediately requested reinforcements.Firefighters battled the heat and smoke for over four hours to prevent the flames from spreading to neighboring factories in the densely packed industrial zone. The fire centred on a section of the godown housing transport vehicles. Fire department officials have claimed that a large commercial truck and an oil tanker parked in close proximity were gutted completely.A large stockpile of tires, used by the owner for oil extraction, was spared after fire crews established a containment line to stop the fire’s progression. Security personnel and staff present on the site managed to evacuate the premises before the flames engulfed the main yard.Challenges on the FrontlineLeading fireman Rajinder Kumar described a gruelling operation involving six fire tenders. Firefighters were initially forced to combat the blaze from behind perimeter walls due to extreme thermal radiation. “The temperature was so high that we felt the heat from a significant distance,” Rajinder said. “The thick black smoke made visibility nearly zero, complicating the effort to reach the seat of the fire.”The operation was also reportedly hampered by crowds of onlookers who gathered to record the incident on mobile phones, which officials noted created “uncomfortable” conditions for the emergency teams. The fire was brought under control within two hours, with cooling operations concluding around 12.30pm. While the owner has not yet determined the source of the spark, a formal investigation into the cause of the blaze is expected.
