Lockdown impact: 30% fewer fire cases in Pune from March to June 2020 as compared to 2019

According to civic officials, the fall in number of calls is not much as expected given that most commercial establishments were completely shut during these four months.

PUNE The city witnessed 30 per cent fewer fire incidents during the lockdown period from March to June this year as compared to the same period in 2019, according to the fire department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

From March to June 2020, Pune municipal corporation firefighters received 745 calls related to fire incidents. (HT PHOTO)

From March to June 2020 the firefighters received 745 calls related to fire incidents, as compared to 1,067 calls during the same period in 2019.

According to civic officials, the fall in the number of calls is not much as expected given that most commercial establishments were completely shut during these four months.

Prashant Ranpise, chief fire officer, PMC, said, “Although we did see fewer calls we had expected even lesser fire incidents given that almost all commercial establishments were shut, traffic was shut and also there was not much movement of people at that time.”

“However, fire calls do not just come from those places but also homes, gas leakages, electric short circuits and also fire to vehicles by miscreants,” he said.

He said, “Even during the rains a few days ago we got as many as 55 phone calls only for waterlogging and four to five related to tree falls.”

As per the data 2020 saw 232 fire calls from homes while 397 were reported in 2019, while 181 fire calls due to electric short circuits were reported in 2019 and 2020 saw 137 such calls and 294 fire calls due to burning garbage were reported in 2019, 2020 saw 263 such incidents. However, there was a rise in the number of fire calls due to gas leakage in 2020 (57) which in 2019 was only 30 for the same period.

Month/ Calls related to fire incidents in 2019/2020

March 330/346

April 301/210

May 272/133

June 164/56

Total1,067/745