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A minor fire broke out in the kitchen chimney of Vegis Hotel on Dhokali-Kolshet Road in Thane (West) on Friday afternoon. The fire incident prompted a swift response from the fire brigade and disaster management officials. No injuries were reported in the incident, officials said.

According to the Disaster Management Cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), information about the fire was received at around 12:01 pm from the Balkum Fire Station. The incident occurred at Vegis Hotel, owned by Amol Pawar, located opposite D-Mart on Dhokali, Kolshet Road.

Officials said that the blaze was confined to the hotel’s kitchen chimney and electrical wiring, causing minor damage to the affected area. No customers were present inside the hotel when the fire broke out, preventing any casualties.
Fire brigade personnel from Balkum Fire Station rushed to the spot with one fire tender and began firefighting operations. Disaster Management Department staff also reached the location with a pickup vehicle to assist in the response.

Local public representative Sanjay Bhoir was also present at the site during the operation.

Fire extinguished at 12:20 pm

With coordinated efforts by the fire brigade team, the fire was completely extinguished by around 12:20 pm. Officials confirmed that the situation was brought under control promptly and there was no further risk of spread.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, though preliminary information suggests it originated in the kitchen chimney area. Authorities are expected to inspect the site further.

Two dead, 155 shops gutted in massive fire at Gaondevi market building

In a different scenario on Thursday, a major fire broke out around 3:30 am at the Gaondevi Vegetable Market in Naupada, Thane West, claiming the lives of two people and causing extensive damage to shops in the two-storey market structure.

According to an official from Naupada police station, the fire was first reported at 3.43 am.
The police and civic officials are investigating the cause of the blaze, while restoration and relief measures are being coordinated on a priority basis.

One firefighter killed, two injured in dousing operation

The deceased have been identified as Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) security guard Kalu Shankar Gadekar, 55, and fire station officer Sagar Suryakant Shinde, 42. Two others from the fire department — Sujit Pashte, 45, and Sameer Jadhav, 40 — sustained injuries and are currently undergoing treatment.

One of Phaste’s cousins said the family has not yet informed the injured men about Shinde’s death.

“The news was very shocking and this happened very early in the morning. So far, we haven’t informed the injured officers about Sagar Shinde, as it may give them a mental shock. They are not in a condition to handle such news,” Phaste’s relative said. 

Meanwhile, a relative of Jadhav said, “Sameer is recovering and the family will speak to the media once he fully recovers.”