Bhiwandi warehouse fires: Two blazes gut pallets, tyres in Nimbavali; no casualties
Synopsis
Two warehouses in Bhiwandi's Nimbavali area caught fire simultaneously in the early hours of Sunday, stretching the fire brigade thin and delaying response to one site. No lives were lost, but the owner of one godown estimates losses of ₹15–20 lakh — and the cause of both blazes remains unknown.
Key Takeaways
Two separate warehouse fires broke out in Nimbavali, Bhiwandi on 28 June in the early morning hours.
The first fire gutted a wooden and plastic pallet warehouse; owner Shoeb Dost Maniyar estimates losses of ₹15–20 lakh .
The second fire engulfed a godown storing new and used tyres along the Mumbai-Nashik Highway ; three fire tenders were deployed.
Fire brigade response to the first site was delayed by approximately one hour as tenders were already engaged at the second blaze.
No casualties have been reported in either incident; causes of both fires remain undetermined.
Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik separately flagged rising forest fire risk in Konkan , citing farmer misconceptions about burning biomass.
Two separate warehouse fires broke out in the Nimbavali area of Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, in the early hours of Sunday, 28 June, gutting structures storing wooden pallets and tyres. No casualties have been reported in either incident, and firefighting operations were underway at both locations.
First Fire: Wooden Pallet Warehouse Completely Engulfed
The first blaze tore through a warehouse storing wooden and plastic pallets in Nimbavali village, completely destroying the structure. Warehouse owner Shoeb Dost Maniyar said the fire was first noticed by local residents roughly half an hour before he was alerted. He put the financial loss at ₹15–20 lakh.
'The fire broke out about half an hour ago, as some people informed us. This is the business of manufacturing and storing wooden and plastic pallets… We have suffered losses of around ₹15–20 lakh,' Maniyar said.
Critically, the fire brigade could not reach the spot immediately — fire tenders were already deployed at a second major blaze nearby, delaying response by approximately an hour, according to the warehouse owner. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
Second Fire: Tyre Godown on Mumbai-Nashik Highway
A separate fire broke out at another warehouse along the Mumbai-Nashik Highway in the Nimbavali area, where both new and used tyres along with wooden pallets were stored. Three fire tenders from the Bhiwandi Fire Brigade were dispatched to the site.
Fireman Suresh confirmed: 'This incident occurred in Nimbavali village. The warehouse stores both new and used tyres… We received the call at around 3:17 am, and three fire tenders are currently engaged in firefighting operations.'
Authorities confirmed no injuries or fatalities in this incident either. The cause of the second fire also remains under investigation.
Context: Delayed Response Raises Concerns
The simultaneous nature of both fires meant that emergency resources were stretched thin. The delay in reaching the first site — with tenders already committed to the second blaze — highlights the strain on Bhiwandi's fire response capacity. This comes amid a broader pattern of industrial fire incidents in Maharashtra's warehouse-dense Bhiwandi belt, which hosts a large concentration of logistics and storage facilities.
Separately: Maharashtra Forest Minister Flags Rising Fire Risk
In a related but separate development, Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik on Thursday addressed growing concern over forest fires in the Konkan region, responding to a question raised by MLA Prashant Thakur. Minister Naik attributed the rise in forest fires largely to a lack of public awareness and deep-rooted misconceptions among local farmers, who reportedly believe that burning dry leaves and biomass prepares paddy fields and improves soil fertility.
'In reality, burning the land damages soil texture and destroys the natural compost-like environment,' Naik said, adding that the forest department is launching a special awareness campaign to counter these practices.
Officials are continuing firefighting operations at both Bhiwandi warehouse sites, and a formal assessment of damages is awaited.
Point of View
The next call waits, and in a warehouse district dense with flammable goods, that delay compounds damage. The ₹15–20 lakh loss figure from one owner alone is likely conservative once a full assessment is done. Bhiwandi's rapid growth as a logistics hub has not been matched by proportional investment in fire safety infrastructure — a pattern that has recurred across Maharashtra's industrial corridors.
NationPress
28 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the Bhiwandi warehouse fires break out on 28 June?
Both fires broke out in the Nimbavali area of Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, in the early hours of Sunday, 28 June. The first was at a wooden and plastic pallet godown in Nimbavali village, and the second at a tyre warehouse along the Mumbai-Nashik Highway in the same area.
Were there any casualties in the Bhiwandi fires?
No casualties — injuries or fatalities — have been reported in either of the two warehouse fires. Firefighting operations were underway at both locations as of the latest reports.
What caused the Bhiwandi warehouse fires?
The exact cause of both fires has not yet been determined, according to authorities. Investigations are ongoing at both sites.
How much financial loss was reported in the Bhiwandi fires?
Warehouse owner Shoeb Dost Maniyar estimated losses of approximately ₹15–20 lakh from the fire that destroyed his wooden and plastic pallet godown. A formal damage assessment for both sites is still awaited.
Why was the fire brigade delayed in responding to the first Bhiwandi fire?
According to the warehouse owner, fire tenders were already deployed at the second major fire in the same area, delaying their arrival at the first site by approximately one hour. The simultaneous nature of both incidents stretched Bhiwandi's fire response resources.
