Bhiwandi blaze guts 22 warehouses, causes loss of INR 250-crore

On 12 May (Monday), a massive fire broke out at the Richland Commercial Complex in Bhiwandi’s Vadape village. The fire engulfed 22 warehouses that were stocked with printing machinery, chemicals, electronic goods, event decoration materials, furniture, and health supplements.

The fire broke out in one of the three buildings in the complex at around 3:30 am, which housed godowns of varying sizes. Sainath Tare, president, Bhiwandi Warehouse Builder and Developers Association, stated that no casualties have been reported, but materials worth INR 250-crore have been gutted in the fire.

The 22 warehouses gutted in the fire belonged to Canon India, Abbott Healthcare, Bright Lifecare, Holisol, and KK Indian Petroleum Specialities.

#WATCH ठाणे, महाराष्ट्र: भिवंडी के रिचलैंड कंपाउंड में भीषण आग लगी। दमकल की गाड़ियां मौके पर मौजूद हैं। अधिक जानकारी की प्रतीक्षा है। pic.twitter.com/YlN6GKWPt9

— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) May 12, 2025

The incident
The Bhiwandi Fire Brigade received an emergency call at around 3:45 am; two fire engines and two teams were deployed immediately to the spot. One fire engine was sent from Bhiwandi and the other from Kalyan. The fire is under control, but it may take another two days to douse out the flames completely.

The cause
The fire is suspected to have broken out in one of the godowns with decorative cloth material due to a short circuit. Five watchmen were on duty when the fire broke out; the fire department was immediately notified as the fire spread rapidly. The cause is likely to be ascertained after investigation.

Preliminary investigation
According to reports, the complex didn’t have a firefighting system, and the fire brigade was informed when the fire had spread across the three structures. The fire brigade was successful in preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent godowns with a quick response.

The fire in Bhiwandi is the latest of the fire incidents in the warehouses in Bhiwandi. The losses caused by such fires cannot be accurately ascertained as warehouse owners and leaseholders do not submit complaints or allow the police department to record a panchnama. Many of the gowdowns store goods more than the permitted limit, whereas some store hazardous substances illegally.