MUMBAI: A fire broke out at the 102-year-old Byculla police station on Sunday evening, damaging the station’s record room and computer room where physical files, paper registers and digital records are stored. No injuries were reported, but the blaze caused significant damage to furniture, computers and other equipment, police and fire officials said.
Event Context
The fire was reported to the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) at 8.24pm and was classified as a Level-1 (minor emergency call) fire at 8.28pm. Four fire engines, three water tankers, a breathing apparatus van and an articulated special vehicle were rushed to the spot. Firefighters brought the blaze under control by 9.50pm, around 20 minutes after beginning firefighting operations.
Built in 1924, the Byculla police station is a Grade II-A heritage structure and one of south Mumbai’s most significant police stations. The British-era building serves a population of around five lakh people across 2.7 sq km, covering areas including Veermata Jijamata Bhosale Udyan, Mazgaon Court, Bhandarwada Reservoir, Ghodapdeo, Tadwadi and Haji Kasam. The station also registers several high-profile cases and is located near the official residences of several IPS and Maharashtra Police officers of deputy commissioner rank.
The fire broke out just as officers and personnel reporting for the night shift were arriving at the police station.
With inputs from Osama Rawal
Team Analysis
Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar said the fire spread rapidly because the heritage building contains a large amount of wooden construction material. “Our fire tenders reached the spot very quickly as the Mumbai Fire Brigade headquarters is located on the other side of the railway line. It took us about 20 minutes to douse the fire. Since the record room caught fire, burning paper generated dense smoke,” Ambulgekar said.
Deputy chief fire officer Santosh Sawant said firefighters exercised caution while extinguishing the blaze because the room housed important records and computers containing critical data. “We used only the minimum amount of water required to put out the fire and made every effort to minimise damage and preserve as many important documents as possible,” he said, adding that the exact cause of the fire is under investigation.
Match Outlook
Police said the exact extent of the damage is yet to be assessed as officials are waiting for the fire brigade to declare the affected area safe for inspection. “There has been significant damage to furniture and equipment, including computers. The exact extent of the losses will be known only after we are allowed to enter the affected area,” said another police officer.
Deputy commissioner of police Jayant Meena said the fire was prima facie caused by a short circuit. “Further necessary action is being taken,” he said.
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According to Deepak Sawant, senior police inspector of Byculla police station, he was at home when he received a call around 8.30pm informing him that a fire had broken out on the first floor of the ground-plus-one police station building.
“The fire brigade was summoned and reached within 10 minutes,” Sawant said. “I immediately left for the police station and learnt that no one was injured in the blaze.”
