A mushroom growing factory located in Usgao, Ponda, was completely gutted after a fire broke out on Saturday evening. The blaze originated from the sawdust that was used as spawn for cultivating mushrooms. The sawdust, being highly combustible, ignited and rapidly spread, leading to a massive fire that took hours to bring under control.
Fire Discovered and Response
The fire was first noticed by locals around 8 PM, who immediately alerted the Ponda fire brigade. Two fire tenders were dispatched to the scene to combat the flames. Subhash D Naik, the leading firefighter from the Ponda central fire station, stated that the firefighters struggled for several hours to overcome the raging fire. The source of the fire remains unknown, but the combustible nature of the sawdust exacerbated the situation.
Containment and Aftermath
After the fire was brought under control, the firefighters worked diligently to remove the remaining sawdust using an excavator to prevent any further spread of the blaze. The operation continued late into the night. The factory suffered extensive damage, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
