In the first accident, materials worth more than Rs one lakh were gutted when a store room caught fire on the third floor of Krishna Plaza near MTR Hotel, Lalbagh West Gate, around 10.10 am. A few workers in the plaza alerted the fire department. As many as 24 firemen battled for two hours to put out the fire. Electric short circuit is said to be the cause for the mishap. In his complaint, Lokanath Reddy, owner of the store, claimed materials worth more than Rs one lakh were gutted in the accident.

Car catches fire

In another accident near Bowring Hospital, a car which was parked nearby, caught fire around 2.45 pm. One fire tender was pressed into service. A beedi or a cigarette butt thrown on the ground may have caused the fire which spread all over the area, it is said.

The flames came in contact with the car battery and wheels destroying the vehicle, said the fire personnel.

In Sheshadripuram near Nataraj theatre, an office on the ground floor of a three-storey building caught fire due to electric short circuit at 3 pm. Two fire tenders rushed to the spot and put out the fire. Office material, furniture and records were reduced to ashes in the accident.

Bed sheets and wastes worth more than Rs 50,000 were destroyed when a godown caught fire at Kempapura in Hebbal at 3.30 pm.

A few people noticed thick smoke on Kuvempunagar Main Road in Kempapura and informed the fire personnel. One fire tender was rushed to the spot to put out the fire.

A few persons called up the fire department at 5.30 pm and alerted about the fire inside GKVK.

The fire was minor in nature as it was a ground grass fire.

Frequent mishaps

From January 1 this year till March 16, the Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services in Bangalore has received as many as 674 fire alert calls.

A major cause for the  ground grass fire has been throwing of beedi or cigarette butt without putting them out completely, said B K Hamppagol Deputy Director (Technical) Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services.

The Department staff will have to be on their toes especially in summer.

Hence, people need to understand the consequences of throwing beedi or cigarette butts. If a major fire breaks out elsewhere in the City and the fire tenders are late in reaching the place, things will be disastrous.

Hence, people should consider such things before making calls to alert about ground grass fire incidents, he said.