Bhubaneswar: Unit-I market here again fought early Saturday morning a fire that completely gutted two shops, barely two months after a fire gutted 10 shops in the neighbouring market.Timely intervention of fire services personnel helped prevent fire from spreading to adjoining shops. The burnt shops included a puja essentials store.According to fire services personnel, locals first noticed smoke billowing out of the market around 5 am and rushed to alert authorities. When the shutters were opened, the shops were already engulfed in flames.In Jan, an inferno had reduced 97 outlets (43 regular shops and 54 kiosks and vending zones) to ashes. In Oct 2025, 44 shops had been gutted.Two teams from the fire services were deployed at the site. Firefighters battled the blaze for hours, working to contain it and prevent it from spreading further.Preliminary reports suggest the fire may have been triggered by an electrical short circuit. “As in most cases of fire incidences in this market, short circuit is suspected to be the main reason behind the fire, as per preliminary report,” said a senior fire officer.The incident has once again raised concerns about fire safety in congested marketplaces, where narrow lanes and closely built structures make firefighting operations difficult.Earlier, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) had issued stricture asking the shopkeepers not to use polythene sheets any more, as they acted like fuel to the fire. But the practice is far from going.BMC earlier also received Rs 26 crore from the govt to give a facelift to the market, especially to insulate and regulate electric wiring inside it. Also, it has planned to bring out an SOP for the shopkeepers on how to keep the items and shun the use of polythene sheets.