Firefighters Struggled for 5 Hours to Douse Flames in Bachupally

The blaze erupted around 11:30 pm at temporary sheds housing furniture stores run by traders from Andhra Pradesh. The units stored highly combustible wooden furniture, including sofas, beds, diwans, and chairs, which helped the flames spread rapidly. Fire officials suspect a short circuit may have triggered the blaze, though the exact cause is under investigation.

Kukatpally station house fire officer Jagan Mohan said six fire tenders from Kukatpally, Jeedimetla, Patancheru, Madhapur, and Serilingampally rushed to the spot after receiving information. “The call was received at 10:52 pm and I reached the spot by 11:03 pm. Nearly two lakh litres of water were used to douse the flames,” he said, adding that he was the first responder and the last to leave the premises. Additional water was supplied by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), helping firefighters contain the blaze before it spread further.

Trader Venkata Narsamma of Narsaraopeta, whose shop was the first to catch fire, said she noticed sparks and flames spreading from one shed to another. “My husband had stepped out and I was awake when I saw the sparks. I realised the sheds were catching fire and immediately alerted Venkateshwar’s family,” she told Deccan Chronicle. Venkateshwar said his family was asleep at the time after fasting for the lunar eclipse. “The door at the front was locked. Narsamma went through the back of the tent and woke us up,” he said. Instead of saving her own shop, Narsamma focused on alerting families sleeping inside nearby sheds. “I first woke up one family and then alerted others,” she said. Her quick action helped prevent a tragedy, as several families managed to escape safely.

Most traders said they had been running businesses in Bachupally for 10–15 years after moving from Andhra Pradesh, renting land for about ₹20,000 per month. Gopal, one of the affected traders, said he had taken a loan of ₹30 lakh to run his shop. “We pay rent every month and run the shop on borrowed money. Our families depend on this business. It is painful to see our entire hard work disappear in one night,” he said. Another trader, Kishan Kumar, said: “We are thankful there was no loss of life, but the financial damage is huge. We worked for more than a decade to build these businesses. Watching them burn down in a few hours is heartbreaking.”

Surya, another victim, questioned how traders would rebuild their lives. “I recently moved to the city with my wife after marriage. I promised her a stable life. Now everything is gone. Who will help us recover from this?” he said. Narsamma added that her biggest concern now is her children’s education. “I admitted my children to good intermediate colleges in KPHB and Miyapur because I wanted them to study well. Their exams are going on now. I have not told them about the fire because I don’t want to disturb them,” she said emotionally. Another resident said the same business helped educate his son, now a chartered accountant. “When we informed him about the fire, he broke down and is travelling to Hyderabad now,” he said.

While traders claimed sparks from a nearby transformer triggered the fire, Pragathi Nagar Assistant Engineer Sai Kumar denied this. “There is video evidence suggesting the fire may have started inside the sheds,” he said, adding that the exact cause would be determined after a detailed inquiry.

Meanwhile, residents of nearby apartments and passersby extended support by providing food and water. The sheds are located on land owned by the proprietor of the nearby My Space Bachupally apartments, whose residents also came forward to help. One resident described the terrifying moments online: “It happened right in front of my house. Cylinders were blasting and everyone in the apartment felt the tremors. Heat from the flames was entering our houses even though the sheds were some distance away. Firefighters rushed to the spot and tried to control it, but the fire spread massively within 30 minutes. Thankfully, they managed to prevent it from spreading further.”

Fire officials said cooling operations continued for several hours into the morning, with commuters still raising questions until the evening.