Ahmedabad: A massive fire broke out at an industrial unit in Piplaj on Tuesday, prompting authorities to declare a major fire call and deploy 25 fire tenders to the spot. Thick plumes of black smoke were visible from nearly 2km away. Officials of Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) said that no casualties were reported, and firefighting operations were still under way until late Tuesday night.The blaze erupted at a chemical and oil storage facility in the Piplaj industrial area on Tuesday. According to fire control room officials, the presence of highly inflammable oil and chemical stock caused the flames to spread rapidly, turning the fire into an inferno within minutes.Senior fire officials, including divisional fire officers and the deputy chief fire officer, rushed to the scene to supervise operations. Initially, seven fire tenders were dispatched, but as the intensity of the blaze became evident, a major brigade call was declared and additional fire engines were mobilised from various fire stations across the city.Firefighters battled intense heat and thick smoke as they sprayed continuous jets of water from a safe distance. The flames were so fierce that they reached close to the adjoining road, forcing police to cordon off the stretch and halt vehicular movement as a precautionary measure.Residents in nearby areas reported seeing towering flames and dense smoke clouds from afar. AFES officers said efforts were focused on preventing the fire from spreading to adjoining units. Cooling operations and damping down procedures continued late into the night. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
