Fire crews and volunteers battled a massive blaze that broke out late on Sunday, March 1, at a jute godown in Gauripur near the Gauripur Shamshan Mandir, sending thick black smoke across the trading belt and leaving heavy financial losses. The warehouse, reportedly owned by members of the Chirania family, was packed with high-quality jute bales when the fire erupted shortly after dusk.
Within minutes the flames had engulfed the structure and sent plumes of smoke visible from several kilometres away. Fire tenders from both Dhubri and Gauripur stations reached the site soon after the alarm was raised, but the tightly stacked, highly combustible jute allowed the fire to spread rapidly and complicated containment efforts.
The facility has suffered a previous fire, and the recurrence has renewed concerns among residents and traders about safety standards in privately operated jute warehouses across the Dhubri–Gauripur belt. Local people say weak fire-prevention measures and dense stacking make such godowns especially vulnerable.
Before additional reinforcements arrived, local residents formed human chains to pass buckets of water and sand, working alongside firefighters to stop the flames from spreading to nearby homes and the temple precincts. Authorities and volunteers continued cooling operations late into the night to prevent smouldering jute fibres from reigniting.
No casualties or injuries were reported. Preliminary estimates indicate jute worth several lakhs of rupees was destroyed, though a formal loss assessment is pending. Eyewitnesses described the blaze as sudden and explosive. “We saw thick black smoke, and then the flames just erupted. The godown was packed to the roof. It’s a heartbreaking loss,” said a local volunteer.
Investigations are under way; initial suspicions point to an electrical short circuit or heat build-up within the densely stacked bales. Traders and residents are now demanding stricter safety audits, mandatory fire-suppression systems and regular inspections to protect the region’s jute storage facilities and the rural economy that depends on the crop.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/video/assam-massive-blaze-guts-gauripur-jute-godown-stock-worth-lakhs-reduced-to-ashes-1353475-2026-03-01?utm_source=rssfeed
Category:
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-03-01 23:06:00
