A fire damaged the vacant, two-storey Bhandari Wada in Pune’s Guruwar Peth on Tuesday night after a burning firecracker reportedly fell inside the old structure, prompting a rapid response from the Pune Fire Brigade because of the building’s unsafe and dilapidated condition.
The Pune Fire Brigade control room received information about the blaze at 10.38 pm on November 10. A fire engine from the fire brigade headquarters was dispatched to Bhandari Wada, located at Survey No. 809 near Panch Haud.
Firefighters found that the fire had broken out on the upper floor of the unoccupied building. Before beginning firefighting operations, the team contacted local residents to confirm that no one was trapped inside. No injuries or casualties were reported.
The building’s weakened condition created an additional risk during the operation. Fire personnel considered it unsafe to enter the structure directly because it could collapse. Instead, the team reached the affected area through an adjoining wada and climbed up using a ladder to spray water on the flames.
The fire was brought under control in approximately 30 minutes, and firefighters prevented it from spreading to neighbouring structures. The vacant building suffered extensive damage in the incident.
According to local residents, a burning firecracker may have fallen inside the wada and triggered the fire. The account was reported as a possible cause, and the fire brigade’s operation focused on containing the blaze while avoiding entry into the unstable structure.
Fire brigade officer Sanjay Ramteke, officer Prashant Gaikar and around 20 firefighters from the headquarters took part in the response. Four fire vehicles were used during the operation.
Police personnel, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited, the Pune Municipal Corporation’s building demolition department and local residents also assisted the emergency teams at the site. The involvement of the civic demolition department followed the assessment that the damaged wada posed a structural risk, although the supplied report does not specify any further action or demolition schedule.
