Ludhiana: A suspected firecracker-triggered blaze at the dilapidated old hostel of a private hospital on Brown Road sent residents scrambling to protect their homes Tuesday night, with towering flames threatening nearly six adjoining houses before firefighters managed to bring the situation under control around 3am.The fire, residents said, started in garbage lying in the street after a firecracker allegedly landed there and subsequently spread to wild growth inside the abandoned hostel premises. As the flames intensified and moved dangerously close to houses, residents initially tried to fight the blaze themselves using water from their household tanks.When their efforts failed to contain the rapidly spreading fire, the fire brigade was alerted. Firefighters struggled for more than an hour before bringing the blaze under control. The hospital staff were also informed about the incident.For families living around the old hostel, however, Tuesday night was more than a fire scare. Residents alleged that fires at the neglected premises had become a recurring concern around Diwali, with firecrackers posing a particular threat because of the wild growth and poor upkeep of the site.Residents claimed they had repeatedly taken up the deteriorating condition of the hostel with the hospital administration and highlighted the danger it posed to surrounding houses, but no permanent solution had been found.They said the latest blaze brought the risk uncomfortably close to their doorsteps. With flames rising near the adjoining houses, residents feared the fire could spread to residential properties if it was not contained in time.Locals alleged that problems associated with the abandoned building were not limited to fires. Dampness from the adjoining premises affected some houses, while animals could also be seen moving around the property. Some residents claimed they had been forced to spend money on maintenance and repairs because of problems arising from the neglected premises.Following the latest scare, residents demanded intervention by the hospital administration and authorities concerned to secure and maintain the property or work out a permanent solution.They said the neighbourhood should not have to wait for a major mishap before remedial measures were taken, arguing that Tuesday’s fire had once again underlined the risk posed to lives and property.
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