Jhansi: A police outpost, a BJP office and around half a dozen shops were gutted in a major fire that broke out in the early hours of Thursday at Bangra area of Mauranipur tehsil in Jhansi. A Home Guard personnel, identified as Sunil Dubey sustained 30% burn injuries while assisting in firefighting operations, and was immediately shifted to a hospital for treatment.According to police officials, the incident occurred at around 2.30am when smoke started emanating from the Bangra police outpost.The fire quickly spread to an adjoining paint shop and soon turned into an inferno, engulfing several nearby establishments.The blaze intensified when an LPG cylinder inside the sweetmeat shop exploded, intensifying the blaze and causing further damage.Among the affected properties were a local BJP office, a two-wheeler dealership, an electronics shop, a mobile repair shop and a sweetmeat shop.Five fire tenders, including three from Jhansi, were rushed to the spot. Firefighters battled the flames for nearly three hours before bringing the situation under control.The fire caused extensive damage to the police outpost, destroying furniture, a wireless communication set, an inverter, and an air-conditioning unitChief fire officer, Raj Kishore Rai, said that preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit, either in the police outpost or the adjoining paint shop. A detailed inquiry is underway to determine the exact cause of the incident and assess the extent of the losses.