Lucknow: Thick smoke and acrid chilli fumes triggered widespread panic in Chinhat on Sunday after a massive fire broke out at the 35-year-old Himalayan Cold Storage, forcing the evacuation of nearly 50 houses and prompting an intense eight-hour firefighting operation, involving 15 fire tenders, two hydraulic platforms and an SDRF team.The blaze erupted around 6.30 am at the facility along the Lucknow-Ayodhya highway. Towering plumes of smoke were visible from up to 4km away, while residents within a 400-metre radius complained of severe coughing, breathlessness and eye irritation as fumes from burning chilli, turmeric and other stored grocery items engulfed the locality.Police evacuated around 50 houses in adjoining Dayal Residency colony within 30 minutes as a precaution after the fire intensified and threatened nearby homes. Families rushed out carrying essentials, with many moving LPG cylinders outside to minimise the risk of explosions. The evacuation drive continued even after the fire flared up again nearly five hours into the operation.Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly eight hours, bringing it under control around 2.30 pm, though smoke continued to billow till about 3.30 pm. Fire engines made nearly 70 trips to the Indira Canal for refilling water tanks. Operations were hampered by the large stock of spices, with fire personnel initially forced to retreat due to choking chilli fumes. The firefighting strategy was then shifted to rooftops using hydraulic platforms.The fire, which had appeared to be under control, reignited around 11.30 am after flames spread to wooden material and sawdust stored inside, producing dense black smoke. A sudden change in wind direction at one point engulfed firefighters in thick fumes, making operations more challenging.CFO, Lucknow, Ankush Mittal told TOI that fire started due to short-circuit, 12 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames for over eight hours.Residents said soot blanketed homes across the colony. Vivek Srivastava said many initially thought chillies were being burnt. “Everyone started coughing and suffocating. We alerted neighbours and moved cylinders outside,” he said. Kailashi Alka Rani said she noticed smoke early in the morning and informed police after experiencing breathing distress.The unit, near an automobile showroom, has been functioning as a grocery warehouse for years despite being a cold storage. No casualties were reported. Sadar SDM Manoj Singh and other officials monitored the operation. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
