In the second incident reported in a month, a warehouse located on the terrace of a textile showroom in Coimbatore caught fire early on Wednesday morning (October 22, 2025).
The fire was reported at Maha Sree Laxmi Silks on Oppanakara Street, one of the busiest shopping areas in the city.
The Fire and Rescue Services received an alert at around 5.30 a.m. Water tenders from Coimbatore North, Coimbatore South, and Kovaipudur stations were sent to the spot along with firefighters. An aerial ladder platform and a water tanker were also brought to the spot.
District Fire Officer P. Pulukandi and Additional District Fire Officer G. Ramachandran oversaw the firefighting operation.
Though the flames were extinguished by 6.30 a.m., firefighters continued to spray water on the warehouse from the aerial ladder platform to cool the cloth materials damaged in the fire. Mild showers that the city received in the morning also reduced the intensity of the fire. No one was inside the building when it caught fire, the reason for which is yet to be ascertained.
Traffic along Oppanakara Street was disrupted for around two hours due to the fire.
Mr. Ramachandran said the warehouse that caught fire was made of tin sheets on the terrace of a two-storey building. A similar warehouse of a textile showroom on the terrace of a commercial building at the nearby Big Bazaar Street was damaged in a fire on September 28.
“Such warehouses made of tin sheets can be seen on terraces of many buildings in the city. In addition to stocking materials, they are also used as a dining space for employees. They also have LPG stoves and other arrangements,” said a Fire and Rescue Services official.
District Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar visited the spot and held discussions with Mr. Pulukandi. The Collector directed him to expedite the fire safety audit of buildings in old market areas in the city, like Oppanakara Street and Big Bazaar Street, which he had ordered after the fire on September 28.
Published – October 22, 2025 02:29 pm IST
