A fire broke out at a seasonal cracker market near Uma School on the road towards Shukan Crossroads in Ahmedabad’s Nikol area at about 4.30 am on November 10, destroying more than eight stalls and sending fireworks onto the road and towards nearby shops, according to a report by Divya Bhaskar. No casualties were reported, and fire crews brought the blaze under control.
The fire began at one stall in a temporary market made up of makeshift shelters and closely lined stalls selling fruits, dry fruits, footwear, flowers and fireworks. As the flames spread from one structure to another, the fire reached the cracker stalls and triggered explosions.
Rockets and sky shots reportedly travelled across the road and reached shops on the opposite side, creating a risk of the fire spreading beyond the market. People travelling through the area in the early morning were forced to move away as fireworks continued to burst, the report said.
Teams from the Nikol, Gomtipur and Naroda fire stations reached the site after being alerted. Firefighters used water jets from both sides of the road to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to additional stalls and surrounding properties. The response involved three fire stations, according to information cited from the fire brigade.
The market had been set up using temporary structures, with smaller cracker stalls and pushcarts placed in front of the larger stalls. The concentration of combustible goods and fireworks allowed the fire to spread rapidly once it reached the market area.
Divya Bhaskar’s report also questioned how temporary stalls selling fireworks had been allowed on a public road. It said that restrictions applied to setting up such stalls on public roads, while alleging that similar seasonal cracker stalls had appeared in other parts of Ahmedabad. These enforcement-related claims were not independently confirmed in the supplied material.
The incident did not result in deaths or injuries because it occurred before the area became more crowded, the report said. It also highlighted the risk that a similar fire during daytime or at a busier period could affect pedestrians, customers, shopkeepers, passing traffic and nearby businesses. The supplied report did not state the cause of ignition, the total financial loss, whether any licences had been issued, or whether municipal or police authorities had ordered an inspection after the fire.
