Fire breaks out at scrap shop in Jhotwara

Jaipur: Panic gripped parts of the Jhotwara area Monday evening after a fire broke out at a scrap shop in Sanjay Nagar, Narayanpuri. The shop reportedly stored old tyres and other highly inflammable materials, which caused the fire to spread rapidly and sent a thick plume of black smoke billowing into the sky.Seeing the flames and heavy smoke, a large crowd gathered around the shop, triggering panic in the locality. Fire officials were alerted immediately, following which 11 to 12 fire tenders from the Jaipur Municipal Corporation reached the spot. Firefighters brought the blaze under control by around 7.40 pm. However, it took additional time to completely disperse the smoke due to burning tyres and plastic waste.
JMC's Chief Fire Officer Gautamlal said, "We received information about the fire at around 5.50 pm, and our teams reached the spot within 10 minutes. Fortunately, no one was present inside the shop at the time, so there was no loss of life or injury. The fire did not spread extensively, which helped us control it quickly. However, as tyres were also burning, the smoke was very dense and took time to subside."As a precautionary measure, the electricity supply in the surrounding area was temporarily cut off during the firefighting operation. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and is currently under investigation.The incident led to heavy congestion in the area, as a large number of onlookers gathered at the site. Traffic movement on nearby roads remained affected for a considerable period before being gradually restored with the help of police and JMC officials.