PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Fire and Emergency Services in Dehradun received reports of 12 fire incidents between Monday evening and early Tuesday morning during Deepawali, within a span of just six and a half hours. Most of these incidents were linked to fireworks such as sky shots and rockets. The officials informed that the department received calls starting from 7:32 PM on Monday until around 2 AM, as reports of fires increased soon after the beginning of fireworks displays.
The most serious incidents were reported from Mehuwala and Niranjanpur Mandi. In Mehuwala, a fire broke out in a plastic warehouse, spreading quickly due to the flammable material. Dense smoke and strong fumes from burning plastic made breathing difficult for nearby residents and posed challenges for fire fighting operations.
The fire was brought under control after about one and a half hours and efforts were made to clear the smoke and odour from the area using exhaust systems. The officials informed that a fire occurred on the roof of a building at Niranjanpur Mandi where fruit boxes, wooden materials and other items were stored under plastic tarpaulins.
According to them, preliminary findings suggested that a sky shot or similar firework may have caused the fire. People inside the building managed to evacuate in time, preventing casualties, they said. Other incidents were reported from various parts of the city, including Dhamawala, GMS Road, Rajiv Nagar, Nehrugram, Old Rajpur Road, Saraswati Vihar and Chandrabani. Fires involved shops, vehicles, electric faults and minor property damages. Fire department units remained on alert throughout the night and responded promptly to all calls.
According to fire safety officer Kishore Upadhyay, the number of fire incidents this year showed a decline compared to last Deepawali, when 39 fire-related calls were received. The reduction was attributed to increased public awareness and preventive campaigns conducted before the festival. People were more cautious and avoided keeping flammable materials such as waste or scrap on rooftops. However, most of this year’s fires were still caused by fireworks and investigations into individual incidents are ongoing, he added.
