A major fire broke out at a scrap yard in Pithampur industrial area of Dhar district on Saturday, prompting the evacuation of neighbouring companies and a three-hour firefighting operation involving seven fire tenders. No injuries were reported, police said.
The fire started at around 11.30 am in Sector 3 and sent thick black smoke over the industrial area, causing panic among workers and nearby establishments. The blaze erupted on the premises of Royal Marketing Company, which undertakes the cleaning and repacking of plastic products, according to Pithampur police station house officer Sunil Sharma.
Some local reports identified the affected unit as Alpa Industries. The discrepancy was reflected in the initial reporting around the incident, while the police identified the premises as belonging to Royal Marketing Company. The fire spread rapidly and threatened nearby industrial units, leading authorities to evacuate neighbouring companies as a precaution.
Fire tenders were brought in from Mhow and other industrial units in the vicinity. Seven fire tenders worked for nearly three hours to bring the flames under control, Sharma said. Police personnel, fire brigade teams and firefighters from nearby industrial units participated in the operation.
Police from all three police stations in the Pithampur area sealed roads leading to the site so that firefighting, rescue and relief work could continue without obstruction. The road restrictions were imposed around the affected premises while teams worked to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby companies.
A preliminary investigation suggests that a short circuit may have caused the fire, Sharma said. The police have not treated that explanation as final, with the exact cause to be established after a detailed probe. The extent of damage and the financial loss suffered by the company were still being assessed.
The incident brought attention to the operational risks faced by closely spaced industrial units handling plastic products and scrap materials. The immediate response involved resources from local fire services as well as nearby industrial establishments, and the next official steps are the detailed investigation into the cause and assessment of the damage.
