Delhi recorded over 700 fire incidents during the two-day Diwali celebration

Delhi: For the first time, the national capital recorded over 700 fire-related calls during the Diwali weekend, with 318 calls logged on October 31 and a sharp increase to 403 on November 1.

Data accessed by Patriot showed a notable 21.09% rise in fire-related calls to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) within a day.

The unusually high number of incidents this year is largely attributed to a rare situation where half of Delhi celebrated Diwali on October 31, while the other half observed it on November 1. This extended celebration contributed to a significant rise in fire incidents across the city.

In comparison, during the same period last year, fire-related calls were around 300, as reported by an official referencing the day after November 12, 2023, which followed Diwali.

For further context, out of the total calls on October 31, 280 were directly related to fire incidents, while on November 1, the number rose to 365—a 23.28% increase in fire incidents across the capital in a single day. A senior official added that, despite the spike, the incidents were more controlled this time, with no major events reported.

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Additionally, the fire incidents on October 31 were recorded within a 24-hour period from 5 am on October 31 to 5 am on November 1. A similar trend was observed on the following day, with festivities ending on November 2. DFS Chief Atul Garg flagged this as the highest number of fire-related calls the service has received in over a decade.

“This is the highest number of calls we have received since 2012. There were no major fires as our deployment was more extensive this time,” he said.

In 2023, on Diwali alone, the DFS recorded 208 fire-related calls. In contrast, 2022 and 2021 saw 201 and 152 calls, respectively.

Despite the high numbers over the two days, DFS received far fewer fire-related calls on the days before and after Diwali. On October 30, the total calls were 186, while on November 2 and 3, they were 148 and 118, respectively. Similarly, fire incidents totalled 140 on October 30, with November 2 and 3 recording 119 and 89 incidents.

Despite the significant increase, the DFS chief highlighted that most incidents resulted from diyas, candles, and short circuits, among other causes.

“This year, we received an increased number of calls, but notably, only one was directly linked to firecrackers. Most fires resulted from other factors such as candles, diyas, and electrical issues. Interestingly, there has been a significant decrease in firecracker-related incidents, down from approximately 130 last year. This trend is noteworthy, though extended use of firecrackers should be highlighted,” he said.

A senior official noted that, among the fires in the capital, at least 100 were garbage fires.

“We have never seen such a record-breaking number of emergency calls in 24 hours, with over 100 incidents of garbage fires reported,” he said.

Reportedly, the increased fire incidents have also led to multiple casualties across the capital, with serious incidents in South Delhi’s Kalkaji, East Delhi’s Nirman Vihar, and Outer district’s Mangolpuri. These were categorised as “Make 4” emergencies.

On October 30 and 31, DFS deployed fire tenders at 23 locations across the capital to ensure swift response times and prevent major mishaps. Additionally, DFS introduced motorcycle-borne firefighters equipped with portable “water mist backpacks” at nine locations. This approach aimed to enable rapid firefighting in congested neighbourhoods with narrow lanes, inaccessible to larger fire tenders.

Two major incidents were recorded in Najafgarh and Chhawla, both involving a blast inside a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus on October 31.

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A call was received from Najafgarh, where a man carrying highly flammable potash—commonly used in firecracker manufacturing—triggered a blast on a DTC bus, injuring two individuals. Two fire tenders were dispatched to the scene.

In a similar incident, a call to Chhawla police station reported that two passengers aboard a DTC bus sustained burn injuries on the evening of October 31. Police said a passenger was carrying a small amount of firecrackers, which ignited on the bus.

Currently, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stands at 379.