More than 12 hours after it started late Monday night, a huge fire was still burning at a store close to the Lingipur neighborhood of Bhubaneswar. According to reports, the fire began at around 10.30 p.m. and has already severely damaged property valued at lakhs of rupees.
At the time this report was filed, the fire was still not completely contained despite constant attempts. Because there were extremely flammable materials kept inside the multi-story building, the fire started on the third floor and spread swiftly.
Increased Firefighting Efforts
Since previous night, more than 40 fire engines have been sent in to put out the fire. But according to officials, "operations were extremely challenging due to the intensity of the blaze and the large volume of plastic goods stocked in the supermarket."Continuous flare-ups and thick smoke have made operations even more difficult.
In order to obtain access and put out the fire, firefighters had to break parts of the building's walls due to the seriousness of the situation. The enclosed design of the building and the buildup of plastic household items greatly sped up the flames' spread.
Pressing the Robotic Monitor into Service
To combat the fire, a sophisticated robotic monitor was also sent in. Shortly after the fire was noticed, the robotic apparatus was launched inside the structure to try to contain the fire from within. Officials acknowledged, however, that the intense heat and thick smoke prevented the robot from totally putting out the fire.Numerous household items, including plastic and steel cutlery, were converted to ashes. According to fire service sources, the lengthy burning and containment challenges were caused in part by the overabundance of plastic items in stock.
DG of Fire Services Department Responds
The grocery shop is a four-story structure. The first three stories' fire has been extinguished. Parts of the walls have been broken open, and firefighters are now fighting fires on the fourth storey. Rubber and plastic are among the highly flammable items on the fourth level, making it challenging to put out the flames with water. As a result, we are putting out the fire with foam mixtures. To fully put out the fire, a few more hours will be needed," stated Fire Services DG Sudhanshu Sarangi.

Investigated Cause
Although the precise cause of the fire is yet unknown, initial suspicion suggests that it may have been caused by a short circuit. To determine the exact reason of the tragedy, authorities have launched an investigation.
Thus far, no casualties have been reported. In order to completely put out the fire and stop more structural damage, personnel were still working on the scene.
Locals Respond
"The firefighting operation began more than twelve hours ago, and the fire has not yet been extinguished. According to a local, the mall's massive inventory of plastic products is adding gasoline to the fire.
The mall is more than 7,000 square feet in size. However, firefighting operations are made more difficult by the mall's one-way entry, according to another local.