The fire broke out in the storeroom of Emlon Metallic Company, a zari thread production unit located at Aditya Industrial Estate compound, at 8.30 pm.

The incident occurred when labourers were engaged in coating zari threads in the unit, which was seperated from the storeroom with a single compartment of wood. Seeing smoke coming out from the adjacent storeroom, labourers immediately vacated the premises and informed the unit owner, Manish Rana and also the fire department.

It took the fire department 19 hours to control the blaze. Chief Fire Officer G M Kotwala said, “We are yet to detect the cause of the fire, but we suspect that the presence of some highly inflammable chemicals as starting it in the first place. The company was manufacturing metal zari threads coated with highly inflammable chemicals.”

The fire soon spread across the factory and the chemicals stored in the drums exploded one by one.

Over 80 staffers of the fire brigade were pressed into service, along with 10 fire fighters and 12 water tankers, Kotwala said, adding that six lakh litres of water were used to douse the inferno.

Initially, the fire brigade staff faced difficulty in reaching the spot, as the factory is surrounded by huts. Surat Municipal Commissioner S. Aparna visited the spot, while the Udhna police helped fire staffers control the traffic.

“We expect that the damage is in lakhs. Finished goods as well as the unfinished goods at the yarn godown were burned to ashes,” he said.