Kudalwadi, 23rd June 2026: A major fire broke out at a cluster of illegal scrap warehouses in ChikhaliтАЩs Kudalwadi area in the early hours of Tuesday, destroying large quantities of plastic, rubber, wood and other combustible materials stored on the premises.
The blaze was reported around 4.20 am near Shri Mahadev Temple in Kudalwadi. Given the intensity of the fire, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Fire Department rushed teams from eight fire stations тАФ Chikhali, Talawade, Moshi, Bhosari, Pimpri, Nehrunagar, Pradhikaran and Thergaon тАФ to the spot.
Fire officer Rishikant Chipade led the operation, coordinating nearly 60 firefighters in a sustained effort to contain the flames. Officials said the fire spread rapidly as the scrap warehouses were located adjacent to one another and housed highly combustible materials.
Fire tenders had to make repeated trips to pumping stations at Chikhali and Tata Motors to replenish water supplies, resulting in the use of large volumes of water during the operation.
The firefighting effort was further complicated by the areaтАЩs narrow and winding lanes, which prevented fire engines from reaching the warehouses directly. Firefighters were forced to lay long hose lines from safer access points to tackle the blaze, a fire brigade official said.
As residential houses are located close to the affected warehouses, authorities evacuated nearby residents as a precautionary measure. Water sprays were also directed towards surrounding homes to prevent the fire from spreading and causing damage to neighbouring properties.
Officials said the power supply to the area was temporarily disconnected to avoid electrical accidents, as overhead wires were difficult to spot in the darkness.
Large crowds gathered at the site to record videos of the fire, while vehicles parked along the roads created obstacles for emergency responders. Police personnel were deployed to manage the crowd and facilitate access for firefighting vehicles.
After nearly two-and-a-half hours of intensive operations, firefighters brought the blaze under primary control. Cooling operations are currently underway to extinguish residual hotspots and prevent reignition.
The extent of the financial loss is yet to be assessed as the warehouse owners were not present at the site. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown and will be determined after further investigation, officials said.
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