Chennai: Giant PVC pipes dumped on open ground at Burma Colony near Ennore went up in flames in the wee hours of Wednesday, engulfing the area in thick smoke. It took firefighters over three hours to put out the fire; no one was injured in the fire, the cause of which is under investigation.
Thiruvottiyur fire station officials said the fire was reported around 1.30 am by passersby who spotted smoke billowing from the pile of PVC pipes on open ground in Burma Colony. Fire tender vehicles from Thiruvottiyur, Manali, Tondiarpet, Ennore, were used in the firefighting operation.
"The fire started to spread in no time at all. Foam tenders were brought in after the water tenders could not extinguish the PVC material on fire. An earthmover was also used to retrieve some pipes from getting burnt," said a fire officer, adding that the more than 10 fire tenders were used to douse the fire.
Police said the pipes belonged to a private firm which is planning to set up a power plant in Ennore. The contractor of a private firm who was in charge of the project recently unloaded the pipes in the open ground in Ennore. The Ennore police are probing the cause of the fire.
An assessment is underway to estimate the loss, police sources said.
