Massive fire reduces electrical appliance shop to ashes in Baripada, goods worth Rs 45 lakh destroyed

A major fire broke out at KK Enterprise, an electrical equipment shop located in the main market area of Baripada. The fire, which reportedly started in the early hours of Thursday morning, completely gutted the shop and partially damaged a smaller adjacent store. Preliminary investigation indicates that the fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit.

According to reports, the blaze resulted in an estimated loss of around Rs 40–45 lakh. Four firefighting teams were deployed to the site and worked swiftly to bring the situation under control.

Shop Owner Suspects Short Circuit Behind Blaze

An affected shop owner said, “We were informed about the fire at around 6:00 am, so we rushed to the scene and found that smoke was coming out of the shop next to mine. We went in to check and removed items that could be saved. It was only then that we realised it was my shop that was actually on fire. My shop consisted of electrical goods and other equipment worth nearly Rs 45 lakh.”

“We assume that the possible reason behind the fire is a short circuit. Every night before closing, we ensure that all the power switches are turned off, so the exact source of the fire needs to be inspected,” he added further.

Fire Services React Swiftly, Prevent Further Spread

Biswanath Munda, firefighter, said, “We received the report around 7:30 am and rushed to the scene. We were preparing to break the lock of the shop to control the blaze, but that was not necessary as the shop owner arrived immediately. The electrical equipment and other items kept on the windowsill had caught fire, which we later managed to control and completely extinguish. The primary investigation suggests that the fire was caused due to an electrical short circuit.”