Mumbai, Nov 9 Mumbai has witnessed a surge in fire incidents this Diwali, recording an alarming 137 firecracker-induced blazes on Sunday, in which two firefighters were injured, officials said on Monday.
According to data shared by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the single-day tally surpassed the firecracker-related blazes recorded during the entire Diwali period in previous years — 80 in 2024 and 113 in 2025.
The data also stated that as many as 200 blazes recorded between November 6 and November 9 were triggered by firecrackers, which is more than the full-season Diwali tallies in both 2024 and 2025.
The sole fatality occurred during a building fire at Lokhandwala in Andheri. Civic officials clarified that while initial reports mentioned two women being injured, updated records confirmed that two firefighters were hurt during operations.
The BMC stated that Mumbai recorded 80 firecracker blazes out of 262 total fire calls during the entire Diwali period in 2024 (with three injuries), and 113 firecracker blazes out of 289 calls in 2025.
This year, 142 fire calls were received on Diwali night (Sunday) alone.
The surge severely stretched the Mumbai Fire Brigade, which had to tackle multiple major fires simultaneously across the metropolis.
A major blaze in Dongri engulfed several shops and huts, and it took over nine hours for the fire brigade to bring it under control.
While the fire required extensive resources, officials indicated that the call was not formally upgraded to Level III due to constraints on the availability of fire engines, which were deployed at multiple locations across the city.
The circumstances surrounding the deployment of resources could not be independently verified.
A civic official expressed concern over public apathy, pointing out that residents in Vidyavihar continued to burst crackers even as firefighters were tackling a blaze in the vicinity.
In light of the high incident rate, civic authorities have issued an urgent safety advisory.
The Mumbai Fire Brigade has asked citizens to burst crackers strictly in open spaces away from residential buildings, shops, vehicles, petrol pumps, transformers, and overhead wires.
Parents have been urged to strictly supervise children, avoid synthetic or loose clothing, and refrain from attempting to relight burnt or unexploded fireworks.
In case of emergencies, citizens can contact the Mumbai Fire Brigade at 101, the BMC helpline at 1916, or dedicated helpline numbers: 9076333101, 9076333102, 9076333103, 9076333104, and 9076333105, the release added.
(PTI News)
