A fire erupted at the State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Nagpur on Wednesday afternoon, becoming part of a series of blazes reported across the city within hours as soaring temperatures continued to fuel fire emergencies. The FSL incident was reported around 12:48 pm. A fire tender from the Cotton Market Fire Station rushed to the spot and contained the blaze before it could spread through the sensitive government facility. Preliminary reports suggest the fire originated in an electrical distribution panel, damaging cables and meter installations. No injuries were reported.
Early Morning Godown Fire
Earlier, a major fire broke out at a centring material godown in Gujarati Colony, Bharat Nagar, Kalamna, around 4:30 am. The blaze quickly engulfed large quantities of plywood and wooden centring material stored in the warehouse owned by Abhishek Mathurkar. Firefighters battled the flames for nearly three hours as smouldering timber repeatedly reignited, requiring cooling operations until around 7:30 am. Though material worth lakhs of rupees was destroyed, timely intervention prevented the fire from spreading to adjoining properties.
Transformer Fires and Garbage Blazes
In separate incidents, two MSEDCL distribution transformers caught fire due to suspected short circuits. The first incident was reported near the Raymond showroom in Jaripatka around 1:30 am, while another transformer caught fire near Capital Furniture in Omkar Nagar about an hour later. Fire personnel and power utility staff responded to both incidents, though the Omkar Nagar transformer was destroyed before firefighters arrived. The fire department also attended more than five garbage heap fires across the city during the day.
Heat Wave Blamed for Surge
Officials said the prolonged spell of extreme heat has led to a rise in incidents involving electrical installations, transformers, dry waste and other combustible materials. The spate of fires has once again underscored the need for regular electrical safety audits and preventive measures during the peak summer season.
