Firefighting response delayed due to choked access and parked cars

The movement of fire tenders was also hampered as cars and vehicles were parked in open spaces of the high-rise, said an official

Firefighters battling the blaze at a high-rise in Indirapuram on Wednesday morning appeared to be slowed by a string of on-ground constraints – from inadequate initial equipment to control a fire raging several floors up, to choked access caused by parked cars and a large park abutting the tower, and delays compounded by peak-hour traffic – all of which, residents of the society alleged, stretched the operation to over two-and-a-half hours before the flames were finally brought under control.

The fire at Gaur Green Avenue, a residential complex with 447 flats, left at least eight apartments completely gutted and four to six others damaged, according to officials. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The fire at Gaur Green Avenue, a residential complex with 447 flats, left at least eight apartments completely gutted and four to six others damaged, according to officials.

Residents, some of whom recorded and shared videos from the scene, alleged that the first responders struggled to reach the upper floors, with hosepipes failing to carry water high enough and no immediate availability of long ladders or elevated platforms.

Ajit Anjum, a journalist and resident of the society, posted videos on X which appeared to show residents attempting to douse the flames using water pipes from a neighbouring tower. In one video, the fire brigade lacked sufficient water pressure and equipment to tackle a blaze that had already spread across multiple floors. Calls and messages to Anjum went unanswered.

Residents, however, described the rapid spread of the fire, and how it caught everyone by surprise. “The fire spread very fast from the ninth floor to the 13th floor. Many people were out for morning walks or having tea when it started. Initially, the hosepipes were not enough, but once more equipment arrived, the firefighters managed to control it,” said a woman resident who did not wish to be named.

Fire officials, however, said the response was hindered less by capability and more by access – particularly due to a large park in front of the building and due to a string of parked cars which blocked the entry of fire tenders.

“The biggest challenge was reaching close to the tower. There is a large park in front, which blocked direct entry of fire tenders. We initially considered breaking the boundary wall, but that would have taken more time. Eventually, we identified an alternative route that allowed fire tenders to come closer to the tower that was on fire,” said Saurabh Bhatt, additional district magistrate, Ghaziabad.

“The movement of fire tenders was also hampered as cars and vehicles were parked in open spaces of the high-rise,” Bhatt said.

Vehicles parked in open areas within the society had to be moved before fire tenders could advance, a process that residents said took nearly an hour. “There is a garden in our society, and firefighting vehicles faced issues reaching the site from the front. When vehicles from Noida arrived, they provided support as they had more ladders. Cars parked in open areas had to be cleared, which delayed things,” said Ritesh Satia, the society’s RWA secretary.

Then there was the challenge of height. Videos circulating on social media showed residents attempting to douse flames using water from household pipes in adjacent towers, while some alleged that the fire tenders were stationed about 100 metres away from the spot, and their water hose were not able to reach even up to 25 metres.

Chief fire officer Rahul Pal said two hydraulic platforms – each capable of reaching up to 42 metres, or roughly 15 storeys – were brought in from Ghaziabad and Noida to deal with the fire so high up. However, the arrival of specialised hydraulic ladders took a lot more time, further delaying response, residents alleged.

The first reached around 10am – more than an hour after the call was received by the fire department reporting the blaze – followed by the second at 10.30am.

“Initial hosepipes could not effectively reach the upper floors, but once the platforms were deployed and access improved, the fire was brought under control,” Pal said.

He added that firefighters also had to break open locked flats to contain the spread. “Closed windows and locked doors made internal access difficult. Our teams entered and forced doors open to fight the fire from inside.”

Officials also pointed to morning congestion as a contributing factor. “It was peak hour, and movement of fire tenders was affected. There were also crowds gathering and people making videos,” Pal said.

By the time the blaze was fully controlled, the damage was extensive. Residents said several flats would require complete renovation.

Naresh Garg, whose relative owns a flat on the 13th floor, said he arrived around noon to find the apartment charred. “There was intense heat, smoke everywhere, and cracks on the floor. Everything will have to be redone. The loss could be ₹50-60 lakh,” he said.

Kamal Paliwal, who owns a ninth-floor flat that was being readied for his family’s move this week, estimated losses running into around ₹3 crore. “We had spent five years building our home. We had even arranged a puja to move into the new flat. I invested all my savings, my retirement funds and even savings of my son to build our house of dreams. Now, all dreams have been shattered. It’s all gone. I want to know how this fire started,” he said.

According to district fire department data, Ghaziabad has seen a steady rise in fire incidents. The district has seen 921, 1,103, 1,068, 1,607 and 1,437 fire incidents in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 respectively, while 580 cases have already recorded between January 1 and April 29 this year.