A major fire broke out in an ethanol storage tank at the distillery unit of BCL Industries Limited at Machhana village on the Bathinda-Dabwali road on Friday morning. Some nearby residents claimed that a powerful explosion also occurred and its sound was heard in some villages. Fortunately, no loss of life or injuries were reported.The fire reportedly erupted around 9 am and quickly engulfed the entire ethanol storage tank. Upon receiving information about the incident, the civil administration and police swung into action, with senior officials reaching the spot to monitor the situation.Initially, the distillery unit’s in-house fire-fighting team, along with two fire tenders, attempted to contain the blaze. However, owing to the intensity of the fire, assistance was sought from multiple agencies, including the Bathinda Municipal Corporation’s Fire Department, the HMEL refinery at Rama, the Bhisiana Air Force Station and nearby industrial units.Nearly 18 fire tenders from different locations were pressed into service. After several hours of intensive efforts, firefighters succeeded in bringing the blaze under control.Senior officials of BCL Industries said the exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. A specialised technical team had been tasked with investigating the incident.Officials said the affected ethanol tank had a storage capacity of several lakh litres, making the fire difficult to contain. Despite the challenges, coordinated efforts by fire-fighting teams from various locations helped prevent the blaze from spreading further.A police officer said, “There has been no loss of life in the incident. However, significant financial losses are suspected. The exact extent of the damage and the cause of the fire are being investigated.”