Bharmour (Mahinder Patyal)
A portion of a four-storeyed house was reduced to ashes following a devastating fire that broke out at Patti village in the tribal region of Bharmour in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh late Friday (January 31, 2025) night.
According to information, the house was owned by Purushottam Kumar and an estimated loss of around Rs 43 lakh has been reported.
The fire, which started on the top floor due to unknown reasons, quickly engulfed the entire structure.
House owner sustains burn injuries while trying to douse flames
At the time of the incident, Purushottam Kumar was alone at home, while some tenants were staying on the lower floors. He made efforts to douse the flames single-handedly but sustained burns and injuries during the process.
Despite his efforts, the fire rapidly went out of control. Neighbours rushed to help, but accessing the top floor proved difficult. As a result, four rooms, including the kitchen, washroom and hall, were completely gutted.
All valuable belongings, including jewellery, furniture and household items, were reduced to ashes., claimed Purushottam’s wife Dinesh Kumari.
Incident reignites demand for having fire station nearby
The local community, along with firefighters from the Khadhamukh fire station, battled the blaze but couldn’t save the property. The house’s distance from the road and the 13-km gap between Bharmour and the fire station hampered the rescue efforts significantly.
This incident has reignited demands from locals for a dedicated fire tender to be stationed in Bharmour to prevent such losses in the future.
On Saturday, a team led by Tehsildar Tej Raj visited the site and assessed the damage at approximately Rs 43 lakh. As immediate relief, Rs 15,000 was provided to the affected family.
