Pune: At least 10 scrap godowns storing highly combustible material were gutted in a massive fire that broke out in the Kudalwadi area of Chikhali around 4.20am on Tuesday. The incident occurred in the same area where PCMC had demolished over 4,000 illegal scrap units last year.No casualties were reported, though firefighting and cooling operations continued till Wednesday afternoon. The blaze spread fast because plastic, rubber, wood and other inflammable material were stored in the warehouses, said Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) fire officer Rishikant Chippade.Around 10 fire tenders and 60 personnel were deployed to control the fire. Chippade said a few residential units were located close to the godowns. As a precaution, the residents were evacuated and their gas cylinders and other flammable items shifted.Power supply was disconnected with the help of MSEDCL officials and water curtains were created to prevent the fire spreading to the adjoining houses, he said.PCMC officials said some scrap unit operators had resumed activities from temporary sheds without adequate fire safety measures after last year’s demolition drive in the area spread over 900 acres. An official said closely packed godowns and falling debris fuelled the blaze on Wednesday.A senior PCMC official said while landowners were permitted to store material on their plots in the area, storing combustible goods, without adequate fire safety arrangements, would invite action from the civic administration.Kudalwadi was once considered one of the largest scrap and recycling hubs in the region, housing thousands of scrap and small industrial units. Civic officials had estimated that over 50,000 people were directly or indirectly employed in the area before the demolition drive in 2025.
