Nilgiri: A fire broke out at storage room of the Kuldiha Forest Range Office in Nilgiri town of Odisha’s Baleshwar district on Friday morning following a suspected battery short circuit, damaging seized vehicles and other stored articles.

According to a press note issued by the forest department, a loud explosion was heard from the storage room at around 9.10 am, followed by thick smoke emanating from the building.

Forest officials immediately contacted the Fire Services emergency helpline and the Nilgiri Fire Officer to seek assistance. Fire personnel reached the spot promptly and brought the blaze under control.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have originated due to a short circuit in the battery of one of the motorcycles kept inside the storage room. However, the exact cause of the incident is yet to be established.

During an initial assessment, officials found that two motorcycles, a tarpaulin and an old tyre had been damaged in the fire.

According to local reports, three motorcycles seized from alleged poachers, along with a gun and furniture, were among the items stored in the godown and affected by the blaze.

Kuldiha Range Officer Manoranjan Nayak and Assistant Conservator of Forests Manikeswari Hansda visited the site to assess the situation.

The forest department has submitted a requisition to the Nilgiri Fire Officer seeking an investigation into the incident. The inquiry is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage.

A major mishap was reportedly averted as fire personnel managed to bring the blaze under control.