LUCKNOW, July 21 -- A swift response by the fire department helped avert a major disaster after a fire broke out on the fourth floor of Jawahar Bhawan on Monday morning. Firefighters reached the government complex within four minutes of receiving the distress call and launched a coordinated operation by surrounding the building like a ring from multiple directions to contain the blaze before it could spread. The control room received the fire call at 9:53am, following which two fire tenders, a water bowser and a multi-disaster response vehicle (MDRV), were rushed from the Hazratganj fire station, said chief fire officer Ankush Mittal, who was among those who reached the spot immediately. By the time the first responders arrived, flames had engulfed the conference hall of the food and civil supplies department on the fourth floor, with thick smoke and flames billowing out of the windows. "Firefighters stretched two delivery hose lines through the staircase to douse the fire from inside the building while high-pressure water jets from the water bowser's monitor were directed at the affected floor from outside. As reinforcements from other fire stations arrived, the building was surrounded from all sides to prevent the flames from spreading to other sections of the government complex," said fire station officer (Hazratganj) RK Rawat. With the upper floors filled with dense smoke, four firefighters entered deep inside the building and battled the blaze for nearly 45 minutes before bringing it under control. "In all, 18 firefighting vehicles were deployed during the operation, including additional fire tenders, high-pressure firefighting units and specialised rescue vehicles," said the FSO. District magistrate Vishak G, ADG (fire services) Padmaja Chauhan and other senior police and administrative officials monitored the firefighting operation from the spot....