Ahmedabad, June 8 (IANS) A fire broke out on Sunday at the Jayashree Chemical Factory, located in Ramdev Estate-4 in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, sparking panic among local residents and factory workers, officials said.

This marks the second such incident in nearly a month at the same industrial estate.

According to reports, the fire is reported to have started due to sparks during welding work inside the factory. However, no casualties or injuries were reported in the incident.

The Ahmedabad Fire Department responded swiftly, deploying three fire tenders to the spot and successfully bringing the blaze under control.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as smoke rose from the factory premises, raising fears of a possible chemical hazard.

The incident has once again raised concerns about fire safety compliance in the Vatva industrial belt.

Nearly a month ago, a major fire had erupted at the same location, with thick plumes of smoke visible from miles away.

Despite the recent event, another blaze at the same site within weeks has alarmed residents and workers in the area.

Authorities are expected to investigate the cause of the fire and assess whether safety protocols were adequately followed.

Gujarat has witnessed several significant fire and industrial accidents in recent years, from chemical fires in Vatva (Ahmedabad) and Nandesari (Vadodara) Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) to the devastating 2024 Rajkot gaming zone blaze, which claimed at least 33 lives.

In 2020, an explosion at Dahej killed five, Surat saw deadly fires in 2019 and 2021, and even hospitals and schools across more than 150 municipalities remain non-compliant with fire safety rules, with above 11,000 lacking mandatory no objection certificates (NOCs).

Recognising these dangers, the state government has taken multiple steps: it now mandates Fire NOCs for all factories under the Factory Act, launched a Gujarat Fire Safety Compliance Portal for monitoring and inspections, and has committed to creating a single-state fire prevention cadre by April 2026 to standardise fire services across municipalities.

After the Rajkot tragedy, it also fast-tracked plans for a new fire-prevention wing in all local bodies and is amending fire safety laws to give these teams more enforcement power.

Industrial areas are also seeing change: Sanand GIDC, with industries funding the full cost to build a dedicated fire station, reflects growing private–public collaboration. Meanwhile, GIDC chemical plants are undergoing audits and upgrades in suppression systems, evacuation plans, and training protocols.

–IANS

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