Surat: A massive fire gutted 10 shops in a textile market on Godadara Road early Friday morning, but prompt firefighting efforts prevented the blaze from spreading to other floors and shops.While a significant stock of textile goods was destroyed, there were no casualties.Surat Fire and Emergency Services (SFES) received an alert at 6:46 am regarding a fire on the third floor of Avadh Ruturaj Textile Hub. Fire engines from the nearest station were immediately dispatched and began firefighting operations.Given that the building houses a textile market storing highly inflammable polyester products, SFES deployed additional fire engines and teams from 10 fire stations across the city."The fire was contained to the third floor and did not spread either upward or downward. It took four hours to bring the situation under control," said a fire brigade official.The shops are of double height, placing the third floor structurally above a typical fifth floor. Most of these shops use upper portions for storing large volumes of textile goods, which intensified the blaze.Greige cloth, garments, and two computers were among the items damaged in the fire.

"The floor was filled with dense smoke, making visibility extremely poor. Our teams used breathing apparatus sets to enter the smoke-filled shops and douse the flames," the official added.SFES kept three fire engines and a dedicated team on standby at the site to monitor for any flare-ups. "In the recent Shiv Shakti Textile Market fire, flames reignited after the fire was initially declared under control. Considering this, we maintained vigil at the site, especially since it's a textile market," the official explained.Surat has witnessed multiple major fires in textile hubs in the past, many of which consumed entire market complexes.