NEW DELHI: The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) recorded a significant drop in fire-related emergencies this Diwali, receiving 269 calls on the festival day, a decline of over 15 per cent compared to last year’s 318 calls, officials said on Tuesday.
According to DFS Deputy Chief Fire Officer A K Malik, of the total 269 calls received between 12 am and 11.59 pm on October 20, 81 incidents were related to firecrackers. Over a 30-hour period from midnight on October 20 to 6 am on October 21, the DFS received a total of 399 fire-related calls, of which 122 were due to firecrackers, the department said.
Despite the high volume of calls, officials reported minimal casualties. Seven individuals were rescued safely from a fire in a four-storey residential building in West Delhi’s Mohan Garden. The fire, which began on the first and second floors due to firecracker activity, was reported around 10 pm on Diwali night. In another incident, a woman and a child were rescued from a blaze at School Lane in Bengali Market. Two firemen sustained minor injuries while battling a house fire near the Uttam Nagar metro station. They were treated and discharged after receiving first aid.
DFS also reported that two personnel from the Kirti Nagar fire station were injured while responding to a house fire, but were later released after medical attention. Separately, a major fire broke out at a shoe manufacturing unit in the Narela DSIIDC industrial area on Monday evening. Sixteen fire tenders were rushed to the scene to control the blaze, which sent a thick plume of smoke over the area.
In anticipation of Diwali-related emergencies, DFS had declared a high alert and cancelled all leaves for staff on October 19 and 20.
A total of 24 Quick Response Vehicles (QRVs) and 17 fire tenders were strategically deployed across the capital to reduce response times. The DFS operates a fleet of 255 vehicles and has a workforce of around 2,700 personnel.