Gurgaon: A major fire erupted at the Kingdom of Dreams entertainment complex in Sector 29 on Wednesday afternoon.The blaze started around 1.15pm at a structure near the rear entrance of the complex, close to the Nautanki Mahal section.As it sent thick black smoke billowing across parts of the city, firefighters from the nearby station noticed it even before receiving an emergency call and rushed two fire tenders to the spot. As the intensity of the fire became evident, three to four more tenders were pressed into service.“The blaze was brought under control within about half an hour,” fire officer Naresh Kumar told TOI. Fire officials said the cause of the fire is under investigation. A similar fire broke out at the abandoned property — an entertainment and leisure destination — in the past.“The complex has remained shut for a long time and much of the material inside has turned into scrap. The fire appears to have started in the scrap, but whether it was accidental or deliberately set is yet to be ascertained,” the officer said, adding Kumar said the department’s office is located less than half a kilometre from the site, enabling personnel to spot the smoke immediately.“The smoke was visible from our office itself. It was extremely dense and black, so we rushed to the spot without waiting for a call. When we reached, the fire spread significantly and additional fire tenders were called in. The blaze was brought under control within about half an hour,” Kumar said.He said the fire broke out at the banquet-like structure, where decorative installations made of thermocol, wood and fibre had been erected. The thermocol fuelled the blaze, producing a massive plume of black smoke visible from a considerable distance.Less than 24 hours earlier, a major fire engulfed a warehouse near KMP Expressway on Tuesday night. Twenty-nine fire tenders were deployed to contain the fire that took place at Lifelong industrial warehouse in Jhund Sarai on Pataudi Road. “We responded immediately after receiving the alert. The cause of the fire is yet to be established,” fire officer Narendra Singh said.According to fire department officials, Manesar fire station received an emergency call through the 112 helpline around 10.30 pm. Fire tenders were immediately dispatched and, after assessing the scale of the blaze, reinforcements were summoned.Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control after an extensive operation, preventing it from spreading beyond the second floor of the warehouse. No injuries were reported.Singh said the warehouse stored fitness and massage equipment and the department declared it a major fire because of the intensity of the blaze. Police personnel, civil defence volunteers, SDRF teams and representatives of the industrial unit assisted in the emergency response.
