3 am blaze destroys 12 godowns at Old Kesare

Mysore/Mysuru: A massive fire broke out in the wee hours of today, destroying over 12 godowns in city. Luckily, no loss of life has been reported.

The blaze erupted around 3 am in a warehouse storing copper wires at Old Kesare on the Outer Ring Road near the Varuna Canal aqueduct passing above Mysuru-Bengaluru  National Highway.

The flames quickly spread to neighbouring structures, engulfing over a dozen godowns, most of which contained old and discarded materials. Among the structures destroyed were units involved in producing plywood, sofas and other goods.

The inferno is estimated to have caused losses running into several lakhs of rupees, though the exact extent of the damage will be known only after a detailed assessment.

According to the Police, the fire broke out in a cluster comprising nearly 30 to 40 godowns storing scrap, furniture and other household items. A similar blaze had occurred at the same location two years ago, damaging several godowns.

Three fire tenders from Bannimantap Fire Station rushed to the spot and battled the flames for more than three hours. However, the fire spread rapidly, enveloping the area in thick smoke.

Copper extraction activity

Narasimharaja Police Station In-Charge Inspector Kumar and his team visited the scene. “When a fire had broken out at the same place two years ago, godown owners, tenants and lessees were warned against storing inflammable materials and were asked to take adequate fire safety measures. We will investigate the exact cause of the incident and whether safety precautions were followed,” he said.

Residents and other godown owners suspect that embers from plastic wires burnt overnight may have triggered the blaze or that copper extraction activity led to the fire.

They said nearly four tonnes of wire arrive daily from Kerala and workers often burn the wires to extract copper, despite repeated warnings from residents to avoid using fire.

Officials from Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC), along with the Police and Fire and Emergency Services personnel, have inspected the spot and are probing the cause of the fire. A case has been registered at the Narasimharaja Police Station.