Over 200 fire incidents reported during Diwali

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) had a busy Diwali night and responded to over 200 calls, including fires at garbage dumps due to bursting crackers and a blaze at a central Delhi market shop besides other fire incidents in various parts of Delhi.

According to the fire department, 245 fire-related calls were received by its control room till midnight on Diwali and 96 more calls till 10 am on Monday.

"We received 245 firerelated calls till midnight on Diwali and most of the calls were related to blaze in open areas, no casualty has been reported" Chief Fire Officer Atul Kumar said.

The DFS received 271 firerelated calls last year, he said. While in 2017 the ire department received 204 calls. Since 2014, the number of calls received by Fire department during Diwali has been above 200 continuously. So there was no significant decline in the number of calls related to fire-incidents.

As compared to previous years, there has been a decline in cases of fire triggered by burning or firecrackers, the officials said, adding they cannot provide the exact breakup of fire incidents caused due to crackers immediately as it needs to be analysed.

However, the use of firecrackers in Delhi on Diwali has come down over the years over concerns about pollution and due to restrictions imposed on their sale and usage.

Yet, there were violations and people in several parts of the national capital like Mangolpuri, Narayana, Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Nagar, Kalyanpuri, Burari, Bhogal and various other places burst firecrackers until at least midnight, two hours after the 10 PM deadline. Some people also played music system late at night well beyond the permissible time.

No major fire incident was reported across the national capital on Diwali this year but there was a huge fire at a shop in Delhi's Sadar Bazar market. A fire was also reported from a factory in Kirari. No one was injured.

In Sadar Bazar, the call about the blaze in the shop was received at 3 pm, after which 12 fire tenders were rushed and the blaze was brought under control by 4.25 pm, he said.

A fire also broke out at a sanitary shop in northeast Delhi's Jagatpuri area. The call about the fire was received at 2.51 pm after which six fire tenders were pressed into service. The fire was brought under control within an hour.

Out of the total calls, even though no major fire incident was reported in Delhi. But fire incidents were reported at dumping grounds and houses due to domestic items, those related to electric wires and transformers. Maximum calls were received from west, east, north, and southern parts of Delhi, the official said.