Massive Tyre Godown Fire Triggers Panic Along Thane–Navi Mumbai Border

Thane: Panic gripped residents in the Dahisar Mori area on the Thane–Navi Mumbai border on Tuesday afternoon after a massive fire broke out at an open scrap godown stocked with tyres, sending thick plumes of black smoke across the locality and disrupting traffic on the busy Mumbra-Panvel highway.The blaze erupted little before noon at the godown located behind the Shil-Daighar police station and opposite a petrol pump, raising fears of a major disaster. Although no injuries were reported, locals said the presence of the fuel station and heavy vehicular movement in the vicinity added to their concerns.“The thick black smoke was visible from several kilometres away,” said a resident. The smoke blanket prompted police to temporarily divert traffic to alternate routes as visibility along parts of the highway was affected.Firefighters and disaster management teams rushed to the spot soon after receiving the alert. However, the fire spread rapidly due to the large stockpile of tyres and other combustible materials stored at the site.As the intensity of the blaze increased, firefighting units from nearly six agencies across neighbouring cities were pressed into service. After an extensive operation lasting nearly five hours, officials finally managed to bring the fire under control.“The large volume of tyres and inflammable material made firefighting operations particularly challenging,” said Yasin Tadvi, in-charge of the Regional Disaster Management Cell.Officials said the exact cause of the fire remains unknown and will be investigated.