283 fire-related calls made in Delhi on Diwali, says fire dept

A DFS officer said that despite repeated appeals to avoid bursting fireworks in congested areas, several fire calls were triggered by burning waste, shops catching fire due to discarded crackers, and short circuits in narrow lanes

NEW DELHI

This year, the Supreme Court allowed bursting of green firecrackers from 6am to 7am and from 8pm to 10pm on October 20 and 21. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The national capital recorded 283 fire-related calls during Diwali celebrations between 6pm on October 20 and 6am on October 21, of which 122 were incidents related to firecrackers, according to the data shared by the Delhi Fire Services (DFS).

A DFS officer said that despite repeated appeals to avoid bursting fireworks in congested areas, several fire calls were triggered by burning waste, shops catching fire due to discarded crackers, and short circuits in narrow lanes.

Highly damaging incidents include a fire at a tent godown in Roop Nagar, the rescue of seven people from a fire at Mohan Garden, the rescue of a woman and a child from a school lane near Bengali Market, and minor injuries to two fire personnel during firefighting operations in Uttam Nagar.

According to the DFS data, the Rohini subdivision received the highest number of calls, 37, followed by Janakpuri, 34, Roop Nagar, 28, and Shahdara, 26. Other localities that reported fires include Bhikaji Cama Place (21), Moti Nagar (13), Jwala Puri (12), Bawana (11), Wazirpur (16), Laxmi Nagar (16), Shankar Road (12), Dwarka (8), Tahirpur (7), and Safdarjung (7). Central areas, such as Connaught Place (5) and Old Delhi (4), reported relatively fewer calls.

The fire department said that while they received 175 fire-related calls on Diwali Eve, October 19, the number dipped to 123 on the day of the festival, October 20. In a 30-hour period between October 20 midnight and October 21 morning, there were 358 fire-related calls, officials said.

Officials said most calls were attended to promptly, despite heavy festive traffic. “Teams were stationed across the city to ensure swift response, especially in densely populated areas of Rohini, Janakpuri, and Shahdara,” a DFS official said.

In the past decade, the 283 calls on the festival day was the third highest, topped only by 318 calls made in 2024, and 290 calls made in 2015.

This year, the Supreme Court allowed bursting of green firecrackers from 6am to 7am and from 8pm to 10pm on October 19 and 20.