A short circuit in the electricity meter box of a commercial building located in the Koyila Gram Panchayat area led to a fire outbreak in the early hours of Friday, November 15.

The commercial structure houses four shops, including a paint shop. The fire broke out in the meter box installed on the outer wall of the building, causing smoke to billow around the building. Around 3 a.m., passersby noticed the smoke and immediately alerted nearby residents and shop owners. Shop owner Hamza, his brother, and a local resident Purushothama arrived promptly and managed to extinguish the flames on the meter box.

Upon receiving information, the MESCOM staff rushed to the spot and disconnected the power supply from the electric pole. The fire, which had started spreading from the meter to wires inside the shop, was extinguished by Purushothama, who used a water pipe to douse the flames, successfully preventing further spread.

Major Incident Averted

The building contains two shops storing paint and plastic materials for agricultural use, along with two grocery stores. The fire could have escalated rapidly as the items stored here were highly flammable but timely intervention of local residents prevented a major accident, said Araf, the paint shop owner.