Pune’s fire brigade recorded more than 48 fire incidents in seven hours during Diwali’s Lakshmi Puja celebrations, with fires reported across residential buildings, shops, warehouses, open spaces and roadside areas. No deaths were reported in the incidents, according to a report by Pudhari.
The fire calls were logged between 3 pm and 10 pm as fireworks were being used across the city. Firefighters responded to incidents involving trees, dry grass, waste, building balconies, terraces, shops and warehouses. The evening saw a rise in the number of calls, placing fire-response teams across multiple parts of Pune on alert.
The incidents were spread across areas including Kondhwa, Dhayari, Shivajinagar, Kashewadi, Sadashiv Peth, Vadgaon Budruk, Katraj, Satara Road, Sinhagad Road, Kothrud, Nana Peth, Bhawani Peth, Kharadi, Tingre Nagar, Shukrawar Peth, Ganj Peth, Pashan and Warje.
In Kondhwa, material stored in the basement of an abandoned building near Kadnagar Chowk caught fire after a spark from fireworks fell on it. Dry grass in an open field in the DSK Vishwa area of Dhayari, a tree on Shirole Road in Shivajinagar and waste in the Harkanagar area of Kashewadi also caught fire.
Some fires were reported in building balconies and flats, while others affected trees and dry grass in open areas. A warehouse in Fursungi was also among the locations where a fire was reported. Fire brigade personnel reached the sites after receiving information and deployed the required equipment to bring the fires under control.
One of the reported incidents occurred near the City Pride cinema on Satara Road. A flex-printing shop at Sonawane Industries caught fire at around 9 pm. Four fire engines and one water tanker were sent to the location, where firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze.
The spread of the calls across residential, commercial and open areas required the fire brigade to attend multiple locations during the same period. The reported incidents included both small fires involving combustible outdoor material and incidents affecting structures such as shops, flats, terraces and warehouses. The report did not identify the total extent of property damage or specify whether any buildings required evacuation.
Fire brigade teams continued responding to the incidents as information was received. The reported outcome from the incidents was that there were no fatalities.
