Firemen engaged in firefighting at the Davorlim saw mill, which was engulfed in a major fire in the wee hours of Friday.
MARGAO
A major fire destroyed a saw mill at Davorlim village in the wee hours of Friday, destroying timber and machinery worth over Rs 50 lakh.
The incident is believed to have taken place at around 2.30 am when fire broke out in the saw mill. The Margao fire brigade, which received a call from the control room at around 2.46 am, rushed to the spot, only to find the saw mill engulfed in flames.
Given the intensity of the fire and the gravity of the situation, the Margao fire brigade sought immediate reinforcements from fire stations at Cuncolim, Curchorem, Ponda, Verna, and the Panjim headquarters.
Fire Officer Gill D’Souza informed that the fire was finally brought under control at around 8.30 am after six hours of firefighting operations.
Giving details about the incident, Gill said that the fire spread quickly before the entire saw mill was engulfed in massive flames. Given that timber and wood are highly combustible items, the fire quickly spread across the saw mill. “We had to seek reinforcements from six different fire stations to control the fire. Around 45,000 litres of water was used to bring the fire under control,” he said.
To a question, the fire officer said the cause of the fire remains unknown, adding that the fire brigade would write to the Electricity Department as well as the police to ascertain the cause.
To another question, he said no one was staying inside the saw mill, adding that the owner had informed that the labourers were staying in structures adjoining the unit.
Owner of Shree Gau Laxmi Saw Mill, Kamlesh Patil, told the media that the saw mill was totally gutted in the fire. He pegged the total loss at over Rs 50 lakh. “The saw mill was not in operation at the time of the incident. Our workers come for work only in the morning. I do not know the exact cause behind the fire. The CCTV footage does not show any suspicious movement of any person inside the unit,” he said.
