ludhiana a sudden fire broken out in the old chhapar pond on the outskirts of samrala near here on wednesday apart from large number of birds small animals living on the old pond are feared to have died in the blaze meanwhile fire brigade team reached the spot and doused the fireas per the reports the information about the fire in the old pond spread over acres of land on khanna road was received by the people around 1230 pm on wednesday the reports suggest that at first the people present there tried to control the fire but soon the fire spread so much that countless animals and hundreds of birds living in the pond came under the grip of flameslocal sources said that someone later informed fire department and as soon as the department received the information the fire brigade vehicle came to the spot to extinguish the fire they added that it took four to five fire tenders around two hours to bring fire under controllocal sources further said that the fire brigade team brought the fire under control before the fire could engulf the government grain godowns and khokha bazaar on chava road and the surrounding areasamritpal a fire department official said that a large number of birds and small animals may have died in the fire even as they managed to control the fire before it could have spread to neighbouring areasfire department officials said that the exact reason for the fire in the pond has not been ascertained but it is being suspected that someone must have thrown smouldering cigarette on the dry reeds of the pond