Blaze at Ambad brings fire station demand to fore

NASHIK: A fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon in the open space at the XLO point, D-Sector of the Ambad industrial area when the fibre scrap material dumped there caught fire with the dry grass. No causality was reported and a fire tender from CIDCO was immediately rushed to the spot to douse the blaze.
The incident, however, reignited the long pending demand of the industries to set up a fire station in the industrial area for immediate reach to help reduce losses in case of a major fire.
The Ambad Industries and Manufacturers’ Association (AIMA) yet again urged the fire brigade department of the civic body to at least deploy a temporary fire tender in the Ambad industrial area of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) until the proposed fire station is set up in the industrial area that houses about 1, 500 small, medium and large scale units.
“Apart from the urgent need of the fire station, timely requests have also been made to the MIDC about the garbage that is accumulated in the open spaces. A compound wall needs to be constructed to stop the open spaces from becoming a dumping ground. The move would prevent such incidents,” president of AIMA Vivek Patil said.
President of the Nashik Industrialists and Manufacturing Association (NIMA) Ravi Varma said that setting up of the fire station would help reduce damages incurred in the premises in case a major fire breaks out.
“A request was also made with the fire department to provide a fire tender during summer as cases of fire are at their peak during these three months. However, no such request has been fulfilled for the industrial area,” Varma added.
Chief fire officer at the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) Anil Mahajan said the onus of having its own fire station was on the part of the MIDC. “The fire station should have been set up by the MIDC while establishing the industrial area. A fire tender was rushed to the spot from Cidco when the incident was reported and the fire was brought under control,” he added.
The MIDC, on its part, assured that the fire station would soon be in place. Executive engineer at MIDC P R Bhandopia said that tenders for the fire station have been called and sent for approval. Once approved, the work will be initiated, he added.