Times News NetworkKanpur: Three major fire incidents kept the fire department on high alert from Sunday morning, with property worth lakhs of rupees damaged at three locations. However, no casualties were reported, officials said.A major fire broke out on Sunday morning at Rahman Tannery in the Jajmau area, triggering panic in the locality, the officials said. The fire department brought the blaze under control after hours of efforts. The fire erupted inside the Tannery, which fell under the jurisdiction of Jajmau police station. A police personnel on patrol spotted smoke rising from the premises and alerted the control room and the fire department.Relief and rescue operations were launched under the direction of the chief fire officer of Kanpur Nagar. Two fire tenders from Jajmau fire station reached the spot. Leather and chemicals stored inside the tannery caused the fire to intensify rapidly. Flames and thick smoke rose high and were visible from a distance, spreading fear among residents. With the risk of the fire spreading to nearby residential areas, Mirpur fire station was placed on alert and one additional unit was dispatched.Firefighters moved through dense smoke inside the tannery and directed water jets from three sides to encircle the blaze. Personnel worked to prevent the fire from reaching the tannery’s main stock room. After hours of efforts, the fire was extinguished. A preliminary investigation suggested a short circuit as the likely cause, though the department did not issue official confirmation. Chief fire officer Deepak Sharma stated that safety standards inside the tannery would also be investigated. Officials believed the timely intervention saved property worth crores from being destroyed.Local residents and traders expressed relief that the fire was contained in time. Eyewitnesses said a slight delay in the arrival of fire tenders could have led to the blaze engulfing neighbouring factories. Another fire broke out at Rana international agarbatti factory at Budhiya Ghat in the Jajmau area of Kanpur in the wee hours of Sunday and engulfed the factory’s store within a short time. A fire brigade team brought the blaze under control after nearly four hours of efforts.The factory operator was identified as Mohammad Rahat. The store contained a large quantity of sawdust used in the manufacturing of agarbattis and the fire spread rapidly due to the flammable nature of the material. Two additional fire tenders were dispatched from Jajmau fire station and one from Mirpur to the site.Fire officer Rahul Nandan said firefighters doused the flames by continuously spraying water. Sawdust, finished goods and several machines were destroyed in the fire. According to initial estimates, the incident caused losses worth lakhs of rupees.No casualties were reported. Employees and people in the vicinity were evacuated in time. A preliminary investigation suggested a short circuit caused the fire. The fire department and police were investigating the matter.In the third incident, fire broke out at MPCC Private Limited, a medical waste disposal factory located on Bhimsen Road in Sachendi on Sunday. The fire quickly took a fierce form. The fire brigade, upon receiving information, brought the blaze under control after considerable efforts. Approximately 10 fire tenders were used to douse the fire. Initially, two fire tenders arrived at the scene, but upon witnessing the ferocity of the blaze, approximately 10 vehicles from several fire stations, including Panki and Fazalganj, reached the spot. ACP, Panki, Manoj Kumar stated that the fire was brought under control and no casualties were reported.CFO Deepak Sharma said that 35 fire brigade personnel were deployed to douse the flames.
