A private bus at Cunchelim, Mapusa, was reportedly completely gutted in a fire on Monday. Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire might have sparked when dry grass in the vicinity caught fire which quickly spread to the parked vehicle. The flames spread rapidly due to windy conditions. In another incident a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) shed at Honda in Sattari district was destroyed in fire on Sunday burning all the material stored inside. This is the second such incident in the taluka in less than ten days.
According to locals garbage was not collected from the shed over the past six months leaving it full of waste. It must be said that garbage and dry grass can be a deadly combination as it can ignite a fire that, aided by the wind, can spread quickly. In the past, fire erupted at the Sonsoddo garbage dump multiple times. Methane gas in garbage can cause fires because methane is highly flammable. Landfill generates methane gas when the microorganism in the ground decomposes the waste. Extreme heat can kill grass and low soil moisture levels makes grass easier to ignite.
