A massive blaze erupted late Thursday night at the Manapur Industrial Area on Meerut Road in Ghaziabad, engulfing a paint factory and scrap warehouse in flames. Thick black smoke billowed high into the sky, visible from miles away, sending panic through the local community.
Firefighters from multiple stations rushed to the scene upon receiving the alert. Initial teams from Vaishali and Kotwali fire stations arrived with four tenders, but the ferocity of the fire demanded reinforcements. The intense heat caused the factory’s tin roof and one wall to collapse, complicating direct access to the flames.
To combat this, authorities deployed a JCB machine to demolish obstructing walls, allowing firefighters to target the fire more effectively. In a coordinated effort, 20 fire trucks from stations including Sahibabad, Modinagar, Loni, Hapur, Meerut, and Gautam Buddh Nagar joined the battle. Articulating water towers were also pressed into service.
After hours of relentless effort, the blaze was brought under control, preventing it from spreading to five or six nearby factories. No casualties were reported, a testament to the swift response. Cooling operations continue at the site, with investigations underway to determine the cause of the fire.
This incident underscores the vulnerabilities in industrial zones and the critical role of emergency services in averting larger disasters.