Kozhikode: Preliminary investigations by the District Fire and Rescue Services has found the massive fire at an oil mill in Maradu near Beypore on Sunday night was likely triggered after copra cake stored in the mill came into contact with the tyre of a tanker parked there. Officials suspect the resulting friction generated enough heat to ignite the tyre, setting off the blaze that engulfed the factory.

The fire, which broke out around 11.30 pm, completely destroyed a large stock of coconut oil stored for the upcoming Onam market, oil cans, around 150 tonnes of dried copra, and machinery inside the factory. The blaze also gutted the tanker.

Firefighters battled the flames for more than 10 hours before bringing the blaze under control around 11 am on Monday. Nearly 10 fire units from Kozhikode city and nearby stations were deployed for the operation.

As part of the firefighting efforts, rescue personnel had to demolish a portion of the factory wall to gain access and extinguish the fire.

Earlier, there were reports that the fire had originated from the copra dryer unit after a woman employee told the media that she first noticed flames near the dryer. However, fire officials have ruled out that possibility.

District Fire Officer Joseph said the factory had ceased operations in the evening, making it unlikely that the copra dryer was the source of the fire.

“Our preliminary assessment indicates that the fire triggered after copra cake stored in the mill came into contact with the tyre of a parked tanker lorry. However, since the entire structure has been gutted, we cannot reach a final conclusion at this stage. A detailed scientific examination will be conducted,” he told Onmanorama.

According to the mill owners, the estimated loss was around ₹5 crore. They said the factory had stocked about 28 tonnes of coconut oil and 150 tonnes of copra to meet the Onam demand.

“The fire engulfed the entire factory within 10 minutes. We lost everything in a matter of minutes. We had stored a large quantity of coconut oil and copra to supply wholesalers and retailers ahead of the Onam season, with deliveries scheduled before August 10. Everything has been destroyed,” said Arun, one of the owners of the mill.

Fire officials, however, said the exact extent of the loss could only be determined after verifying stock records, machinery details, and other assets damaged in the incident.

“A detailed assessment will be carried out in the coming days to ascertain the total loss,” the District Fire Officer added.