Pune sees rise in fires incidents amid record high temperatures

In January and February 2024, there were 425 and 481 fires, respectively. However, March and April saw an alarming increase in numbers with 572 fire incidents in March and 440 in the first half of April alone

The record high temperatures in Pune have coincided with a rise in the number of fires breaking out across the city. While there has been no discernible pattern in the number of fires over the years, there has been a gradual increase in the number of fires in the past four months.

Most of these incidents, according to the fire brigade department, have been the result of garbage fires. One-hundred-and-twenty garbage fires were reported in March and 75 in the beginning of April alone. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

In January and February 2024, there were 425 and 481 fires, respectively. However, March and April saw an alarming increase in numbers with 572 fire incidents in March and 440 in the first half of April alone.

The fire department shared the numbers with Hindustan Times, indicating that with higher temperatures, there has also been a rise in the number of fire incidents. Most of these incidents, according to the fire brigade department, have been the result of garbage fires. One-hundred-and-twenty garbage fires were reported in March and 75 in the beginning of April alone.

Garbage fires can occur in two ways; one being when the trash collected undergoes chemical reaction which leads to spontaneous combustion. “This is what happened in case of the Hadapsar Industrial Estate fire a week ago,” said an official from the fire brigade department. The other way is when trash is set afire on purpose. This usually takes place when trash gets collected for a while and the residents decide to burn it to get rid of it which then transforms into a bigger fire.

“Residents need to know not to set the trash on fire. They need to inform corporations and respective departments to come and collect the trash so that they can dispose of it properly. Even corporations need to do their work on time so that there is no excess garbage that gets collected. The residents also need to keep dry waste and wet waste separate. This mitigates the risk of internal combustion within the garbage,” the official said.

According to the official, there has been an evident increase in the number of fires in the months of March and April this year as compared to the corresponding period in 2022 and 2023. The rain of the past few days has added to the risk of fires occurring because of trees falling leading to short circuits in transformers.