Five Firefighters Injured in Kitchen Blaze at Dadar Mall
A minor fire erupted in the kitchen of a McDonald's outlet located inside Star Mall in Dadar on Friday afternoon, resulting in five firemen sustaining injuries after inhaling thick smoke. The incident occurred opposite Sena Bhavan and prompted a significant emergency response.
Timeline and Cause of the Fire
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) disaster cell received the alert at approximately 3:51 PM. Officials from the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) suspect the blaze originated from either a gas leakage or a spark from one of the kitchen ovens. The presence of combustible materials like cooking oil reportedly intensified the flames. Fortunately, the building's fire prevention systems are credited with preventing a major catastrophe.
An MFB official stated, "The blaze must have broken out following a gas leakage or from a spark that originated from one of the ovens. The presence of combustible items like cooking oil intensified the blaze, however the presence of fire prevention system averted the situation from getting escalated."
Injuries and Evacuation Efforts
During the firefighting operation, dense smoke filled the mall's interior. The five injured personnel were overcome by the fumes and lost consciousness before being safely evacuated. All five injured firemen were identified as Kapil Dhamare (26), Harisha Narkar (45), Pravin Pawar (32), Sanju Padvi (29), and Sudarshan Ahire (33). Narkar is a senior station officer, Dhamare, Pawar, and Padvi are firemen, and Ahire was a contractual staffer.
Authorities confirmed that the mall had been successfully evacuated before the firefighting efforts intensified, ensuring no civilians were harmed. "All the five firemen who were injured inhaled the smoke and became senseless, later they were brought out. The overall premises were evacuated beforehand and common citizens were not present," added an official.
Aftermath and Current Status
The injured firefighters were promptly transported to KEM Hospital for medical treatment. Officials have confirmed that all five are now in stable condition. After a challenging operation lasting more than two hours, the fire brigade managed to bring the Level 1 (minor) blaze under control by 6:10 PM.
