Fires wreak havoc at several places in Kullu

MANALI: Six fire incidents in Kullu destroyed property worth lakhs in past 36 hours. Prevailing dry spell in Kullu during winter months, like every year, has converted the region into gunpowder that requires a small spark to wreak havoc.
Fire gutted a house in Patola village of Kullu on Monday noon. Families of Tek Singh, Jhabe Ram, Raj Kumar and Dile Ram living in the three-storey house were rendered homeless in the incident.
Another house got burnt down in Bala village of Banjar sub-division.Families of Revati Ram and Pritam Singh lost their home. Cowsheds of both the families were also reduced to ashes. Fireman Karam Chand said they stopped fire from spreading and saved eight other houses in both the cases.
Fire broke out in five makeshift cracker shops at Patlikuhal near Manali on Sunday afternoon and reduced them into ashes within few minutes. Crackling sound of bursting of crackers and rockets flying in all directions scared the entire town.
In another case, a fire broke out in a welding shop and a dhaba in model town of Manali on Sunday evening, in which adjacent properties were damaged partly.
Manali fire officer Kamal Swaroop said fire tenders were rushed to the spots immediately after getting the information and saved properties worth lakhs of rupees. "We were on an alert on Diwali. We reached the spots without wasting time. Though property worth lakhs of rupees were damaged, we could save adjoining properties by controlling the fire," he said.
Fire sub-officer, Kullu, Durga Singh, said fire gutted a cloth shop in Kullu but the entire building was saved. "Shop owner suffered loss worth Rs 10 lakh. Fire spread in an apple orchard at Gahar village on Monday noon. We control that immediately," he said.
A large number of fire incidents are reported from Kullu district in winter season every year. Stocking of fodder and firewood in the houses makes it easy for fire to spread from house to house. Once fire spreads, it becomes very difficult to douse the fire as water is not easily available and places not easy to approach for fire tenders.