Raging inferno at Bhiwapur village, 40 houses gutted

Nagpur: A massive fire fuelled by gusty winds tore through Dhamangaon(V) village in Bhiwapur tehsil, 80km off Nagpur, on Saturday evening, gutting 40 houses and leaving one person injured and livestock charred. As per the district administration, there were no fatalities.Preliminary reports suggest the fire may have been triggered by a spark or a live wire falling on a house, setting it ablaze. Within minutes, flames spread uncontrollably, engulfing multiple homes and cattle sheds. Residents rushed out of their houses in panic and attempted to douse the flames, but the intensity of the fire rendered efforts ineffective. By midnight, the village of 800 residents looked like a ghost hamlet with houses charred and most families forced to flee.Firefighting operations were quickly scaled up with teams mobilised from multiple locations. Fire tenders from Umred and Bhiwapur were the first to reach the spot, followed by reinforcements from Nagpur city and neighbouring regions. District disaster management officer, Ankush Gawande, said additional fire tenders from Nagbhid, Brahmapuri, Chimur and Chandrapur were also pressed into service, taking the total number of vehicles engaged in the operation to around eight."Fire tenders from multiple locations have been deployed. Preliminary inputs suggest around 40 houses, including cattle sheds, have been affected. Additional support has been mobilised following coordination between district authorities, and the situation is being monitored. Nagpur collector, district administration and revenue department officials, senior police officials and Ramtek MP Shyamkumar Barve reached the spot," Gawande told TOI.Collector Kumar Ashirwad said all affected residents have been shifted to shelter homes, the fire is under control and cooling operations are underway. Superintendent of Police (Nagpur Rural) Harsh Poddar said, "While preliminary assessment points to a short circuit during the storm, a forensic probe will ascertain the exact reason." The senior citizen who sustained burns is now out of danger, said additional SP (Nagpur Rural) Anil Mhaske.Firefighting operations continued late into the night as authorities battled to bring the situation under control. Officials said the blaze was largely contained. Villagers from nearby areas too assisted in evacuation and firefighting.The scale of destruction left several families homeless, with rows of houses reduced to ashes. Authorities are expected to carry out a detailed damage assessment once the fire is completely extinguished and initiate rehabilitation measures.The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, though strong winds and electrical sparks are suspected to have played a key role in the rapid spread of the blaze.