3 houses gutted in Ishber blaze

Srinagar, Dec 4: At least three houses were gutted in a fire incident at Ishber area of Nishat here today.

Officials of Fire and Emergency Services said the fire incident occurred on Monday afternoon. They said that seven fire tenders from Shalimar, Brane, Hazratbal, and Headquarters were pressed to douse off the fire.

“These were three houses closely packed together as a big structure, and the fire spread within no time. Top floors of these two-storey houses were gutted in the incident while the ground floors were water damaged,” said the official.

The officials said that wooden material on the top floor of the houses caught the fire quickly, making the fire more deadly.
“It is a hilly area with no water sources nearby. We tried our best to bring in control quickly and keep the fire from further spreading in the area,” said the official.

Locals said that three families were rendered homeless due to the incident.

“Three families have been rendered shelter less due to the incident. I was in the office when I was informed about the incident. We lost our belongings, including many important documents, in the incident. The fire and emergency department were quick to respond but the fire spread very quickly and reduced all the structures into ashes,” said a victim.