What happened here
Cause not yet confirmed; the cause and the loss are not known, and no fire clearance information was found. The warehouse held cornseed powder used to make cattle feed, and the shed roof collapsed in the long fire. Lesson: treat stored feed, grain and other fine organic powder as fuel, and keep it away from heat, sparks, motors and wiring. At about 3.30 am, a fire broke out at Tiwana Oil Mills Pvt Ltd at Kalyangadh village in Bavla taluka, Ahmedabad district, on the Bavla-Bagodara road. Sandesh and Bhaskar English say the Sanand fire officer reported that the call reached the fire service at 4.30 am, and that teams from Sanand, Dholka and Bavla fought it; TV9 Gujarati says three vehicles from the Dholka, Bavla and Sanand fire departments went first and two more were called from Ahmedabad, with Bagodra police at the spot. Sandesh says the first teams sprayed water for about four hours and largely controlled the fire, but flames kept flaring and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation fire team was called. The reports disagree on the date. The Indian Express, in a Diwali-night roundup published on 9 November (3.03 pm IST), says the fire started at 3.30 am on Saturday 7 November and was still burning that afternoon, almost 60 hours later; Sandesh, Bhaskar English and TV9 Gujarati, whose pages are dated 8 and 9 November and whose video clips were uploaded on the morning of 8 November, place it on Sunday 8 November. The Indian Express says the premises were filled with cornseed powder, used to make cattle feed, that the roof of the shed had collapsed and the material was burning underneath, and that bulldozers were being used to clear the debris. The Regional Fire Officer of the Gujarat State Fire Prevention Services, Ahmedabad Region, confirmed that the whole warehouse was aflame. Sandesh says part of a shed collapsed and several birds nesting in it died. Another Sandesh report, published at 8.51 am on 8 November, speaks of a fire in a tall process tower among oil storage tanks, with workers running out of the plant, and says the fire was controlled; no other outlet mentions this, and the later reports say the fire kept burning. No casualty is reported. The cause and the loss are not known, and we found no fire-clearance information. Figures are from the reports opened on 10 November 2026 (IST) and may change.
Quick answers
What happened at Tiwana Oil Mills in Bavla?
A fire broke out at about 3.30 am at the oil mill and feed plant at Kalyangadh, Bavla taluka, Ahmedabad district. A cornseed-powder warehouse burned, the roof of the shed collapsed, and the Indian Express says it was still burning on the afternoon of 9 November. No human casualty is reported.
On which date did it start?
Reports differ. The Indian Express says Saturday 7 November; Sandesh, Bhaskar English and TV9 Gujarati say Sunday 8 November, and their pages and video clips are dated the morning of 8 November.
How long did it burn?
The Indian Express calls it almost 60 hours, counting from 7 November. If it began on 8 November it had burned about 36 hours by the afternoon of 9 November. We found no report of when it was put out.
What caused the fire?
Not known. The outlets say the cause and the loss will be known after an investigation.
Was anyone hurt?
No human casualty is reported. Sandesh says several birds nesting in the shed died.
How can a feed or grain store reduce the risk?
Keep powder away from heat and wiring, keep heaps small, keep a clear road, pump and hydrant for the fire service and a trained fire team on every shift. See: Warehouse Fire Safety in India: Causes, Prevention and Rules
Is there a Bavla safety guide?
Not yet; this case shows one is needed. The Ahmedabad guide is at Ahmedabad safety guide
What happened
At about 3.30 am, a fire broke out at Tiwana Oil Mills Pvt Ltd, an oil mill and feed plant at Kalyangadh village in Bavla taluka, Ahmedabad district, on the Bavla-Bagodara road. The Sanand fire officer says the call reached the fire service at 4.30 am, and teams from Sanand, Dholka and Bavla went to the spot. When they could not bring it fully under control, the Ahmedabad fire brigade was called.
The fire turned out to be a long one. On the afternoon of 9 November, the Indian Express reported that the warehouse, which was filled with cornseed powder, was still burning. Its Dholka fire sub-officer said the powder, used to make cattle feed, was burning under the collapsed roof of the shed, and that bulldozers were being used to clear the debris so that water could soak down into the burning material. No human casualty is reported.
What the reports say
- The fire: began at about 3.30 am (Indian Express, Sandesh, Bhaskar English) or about 4 am (TV9 Gujarati); the call reached the fire service at 4.30 am (Sanand fire officer).
- What burned: a warehouse of cornseed powder, a cattle-feed raw material (Indian Express); a part of a shed collapsed and several birds nesting in it died (Sandesh).
- The response: Sanand, Dholka and Bavla teams, then the Ahmedabad fire brigade; TV9 Gujarati says three vehicles first and two more from Ahmedabad; the first teams sprayed water for about four hours (Sandesh).
- Who is in charge: the Indian Express says the operation is led by the Regional Fire Officer of the Gujarat State Fire Prevention Services, Ahmedabad Region, who confirmed that the whole warehouse was aflame.
- Casualties: none reported (TV9 Gujarati, Sandesh, Bhaskar English, Indian Express).
- Cause and loss: not known; they will come out after an investigation (Sandesh, Bhaskar English).
Where reports differ and what we do not know
- Date: the Indian Express says the fire started at 3.30 am on Saturday 7 November and calls it almost 60 hours by the afternoon of 9 November. Sandesh, Bhaskar English and TV9 Gujarati place it on Sunday 8 November: their pages are dated 8 and 9 November, the video clips were uploaded on the morning of 8 November and Sandesh says Sunday outright. On a Sunday start the fire had burned about 36 hours by that afternoon.
- Place: the Indian Express speaks of an oil mill in Dholka on the outskirts of Ahmedabad and then of Kalyangadh village in Bavla taluka; the other outlets say Bavla or the Bavla-Bagodara highway.
- What was burning: Sandesh’s 8.51 am report speaks of a tall process tower among oil storage tanks, with workers running out and a fire controlled in time. The other reports speak of a warehouse and a shed, and the Indian Express found the fire still burning. We use the warehouse account and treat the tower report as unconfirmed.
- Engines: TV9 Gujarati counts three vehicles and two more from Ahmedabad; the others name the teams but not a number.
- Not known: the cause, the loss, whether the plant held a fire clearance, how many people were at work, and when the fire was finally out.
What this case teaches
Fine organic powder, whether feed, meal or flour, is a fuel that sheds heat slowly and burns for days once it is deep in a heap, especially when a light sheet roof falls on top of it and keeps the water away. This case does not say what started the fire; it is a reminder that stores of this kind need clear access for the fire service, working pumps and hydrants, tank and tower separation, a night fire team and regular checks for heat in big heaps. A plant that burns for a day or more also puts smoke over its neighbours. See our Leamak chocolate factory fire, Rajkot Sokhada factory fire, Mayapuri factory fire and Jammu warehouse fire cases, our guides to warehouse fire safety, fire-prone industrial areas in Gujarat and Gujarat fire rules for industrial units, and the Ahmedabad safety guide.
- The Indian Express says the fire started now, on Saturday; no other outlet we opened gives this date
- Sandesh, Bhaskar English and TV9 Gujarati say the fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday
- The call reaches the fire service, per the Sanand fire officer; Sanand, Dholka and Bavla teams go (Bhaskar English, Sandesh)
- About four hours of water spraying largely controls the fire, but flames keep flaring and the Ahmedabad fire brigade is called (Sandesh, Bhaskar English); TV9 Gujarati posts a video report and its web report at 1.48 pm
- A Sandesh report on the process tower and oil tanks says the fire has been controlled; later reports show it was not over
- Sandesh says part of a shed collapsed and several birds died
- The Indian Express reports the warehouse still burning, the roof collapsed over the powder and bulldozers clearing the debris (published 3.03 pm IST)
- No later report found, so we cannot say when the fire was put out
Why consequences escalated
- A fire at Tiwana Oil Mills Pvt Ltd, Kalyangadh, Bavla taluka, Ahmedabad district, began at about 3.30 am and, by the Indian Express report, was still burning on the afternoon of 9 November.
- The outlets disagree on the date: the Indian Express says Saturday 7 November, and Sandesh, Bhaskar English and TV9 Gujarati say Sunday 8 November.
- The warehouse held cornseed powder used to make cattle feed; the roof collapsed over it and the powder burned underneath, which made the fire hard to put out.
- No human casualty is reported. Several birds that lived in the shed died.
- The cause, the loss, the fire-clearance position and the time the fire was finally put out are not reported.
Failures and risk multipliers
- No official finding exists. What the reports raise as questions:
- What started the fire in the early hours, whether in the warehouse or the process tower, and what was running or stored there at 3.30 am.
- Why a fire in powder stock could not be controlled in hours, and how fast the sheet roof gave way over burning material.
- Whether the unit had working fire pumps and hydrants, a trained fire team on the night of a festival, and a valid fire clearance.
- Why one outlet reported the fire controlled on the morning of 8 November while the Indian Express found it still burning more than a day later.
- These are open questions, not findings of fault.
Actions that reduce risk
- Plant and warehouse owners: treat stored feed, grain, meal and other fine organic powder as fuel. Keep it away from heat, sparks, motors and wiring, keep stacks short with walkways, and check for heat build-up in the middle of big heaps.
- Keep fire-fighting access: a clear road to every shed, a hydrant or water tank that works, a fire pump that is tested, and a trained fire team on every shift, including festival nights and holidays.
- Oil and fat storage: keep tanks and process towers apart from powder stores, with bunds, foam arrangements and an emergency shut-off known to every supervisor.
- Roofs and sheds: light sheet roofs and old trusses fall early in a fire; keep people clear of any building that has started to sag, and plan how fire crews will reach burning stock under a collapsed roof.
- Workers: know the siren, your assembly point and the way out of each shed, and walk out at the first alarm; never go back for stock.
- Neighbours and passers-by: keep away from the smoke and the road in front of the plant, and let the fire service work.
- Authorities: publish the cause, the fire-clearance and inspection status, the loss, and how long the fire burned, so other units can learn.
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