jute and plastic bags that had taken up a large part of the portico area from there the tarpaulin roof of the temporary stores that stretch across the building caught the blaze within minutes the building was on firethe sundaymorning fire stoked memories of the bagri market blaze last year where a short circuit from a kmc electrical switch box ignited a fire that caught a dala which spread to the entire market and raged for nearly four days at gariahat locals said they had seen some pavement dwellers light a fire to keep themselves warm around midnight and suspect that could be the source others said a short circuit in the electrical connection points that the makeshift stalls use from the main building could also have triggered the blazehawkers associations denounced the theories and said the fire had started from gurudas mansion itself it seems a short circuit in the generator room on the second floor led to the fire fortynine hawkers suffered huge losses said debraj ghosh the hawkers union leader at gariahatforensic officials visited the site on sunday afternoon and collected samples both from inside and outside they said the fire may have started before the short circuit it is still early to seal the seat of fire but we have found some secondary impressions of the short circuit that suggest the fire may have led to the short circuit but we will study the samples in detail before sealing the seat and cause of fire said a state forensic science official afterfire officials said the building had no fire safety measures and said the dalas blocking the pavement the hoardings blocking the facade and a mesh of wires in front of the building posed a challenge to the firemen we will lodge a complaint against the building and establishment authorities for having no fire safety arrangement our officers had great trouble even using a ladder as the facade was blocked by hoardings said jag mohan dg fire servicesstate fire minister sujit bose and mayor firhad hakim both blamed the hawkers for encroaching on the pavements and putting up tarpaulin sheets that pose a fire hazard to both hawkers and building authorities apart from hindering firefightingtraders cannot block pavements with tarpaulins that is the reason behind repeated instances of fire in the city and its high time hawkers became aware of this some leaders are allowing traders to block the pavements in an illegal manner and we are strictly against it bose said