Journalism of Courage
A woman and her three-year-old son who was celebrating his birthday were among the six people rescued by firefighters of the Pune Fire Brigade as they responded to a blaze in a two-storey building in Kondhwa Tuesday. No loss of life was reported but a woman and a firefighter sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Fire brigade officials said the control room received a call at 2.39 pm, alerting them of a fire in two shops located on the ground floor of a building in Bhagyoday Nagar. Two fire tenders were deployed in response.
“While the spread of the blaze could be stopped at the ground floor, intense fumes had already engulfed the two floors above. Using breathing kits, the firefighters rescued five women and a three-year-old boy from thick plumes of smoke. We learnt that the boy is celebrating his birthday today,” an official said.
“During the rescue operation, a woman sustained an injury on her leg, and a firefighter sustained minor burns on his hands. Both are out of danger,” the official added.
The fire was completely brought under control in 20 minutes and subsequently, a cooling operation was conducted by spraying water to avoid a secondary blaze. Fire brigade officials said large chunks of clothes in the shops were gutted, besides wooden furniture and electric appliances. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
