Mysore/Mysuru: A fire, ignited by a short circuit, has destroyed a 100-year-old house and materials at a provision store on Shivayana Mutt Road at Devaraja Mohalla in city yesterday afternoon.

The house on the first floor and the provision store on the ground floor belong to one Vasanthkumar. 

There are two shops on the ground floor of the century-old tile-roofed house. While one shop housed the provision store, the other is empty.

Even the house on the first floor was empty and a staircase to the first floor was provided between the two shops.

Yesterday, at about 2 pm, when Vasanthkumar was conducting business, fire along with thick smoke was noticed on the first floor by the neighbours, who informed about it to Vasanthkumar, who rushed out of the shop, saw that the fire had engulfed the house and immediately informed the Fire Station.

Soon, Fire and Emergency Services official and staff, numbering more than 20, rushed to the spot along with two fire tenders from Saraswathipuram Fire Station, one fire tender each from Hebbal and Bannimantap Fire Stations and managed to extinguish the fire. 

It took more than an hour for the Fire staff to douse the fire and prevent it from spreading further. However, the house was completely destroyed in the fire.

A Fire Officer said that the fire was ignited due to a short circuit in the UPS. As wood on the first floor had caught fire and fell into the shop below, various materials worth about Rs. 2 lakh were destroyed in the fire.