Mumbai recorded 499 fire incidents during the five-day Diwali period, including 333 linked to firecrackers, while a dispute over the fire brigade’s response to a serious Dongri fire has triggered demands for an inquiry and the suspension of the chief fire officer.
Ten people were injured in the incidents, according to information cited in the report. The number of firecracker-related fires was higher than in each of the previous two years, although comparative figures were not provided.
Mumbai Fire Brigade officials said the emergency-response system came under intense pressure during the festival. The brigade recorded 142 calls between 7 pm on Lakshmipujan and 6 am the following morning. Officials said calls were arriving at a rate of one every 10 minutes during the period, leaving fire engines from stations across the city deployed on the roads.
The report also cites a separate fire incident on Dr Maheshwari Road in Dongri on November 8, in the area opposite Dongri police station. Congress leaders alleged that the first fire engine reached the location around 45 minutes after the brigade was informed. Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi said the delay allowed the fire to intensify and caused extensive damage.
Azmi said around 500 small businesses were destroyed in the Dongri fire, creating a livelihood crisis for traders, workers and their families. He also alleged that the municipal administration had failed both to create adequate public awareness about firecracker safety and to extinguish the fire effectively.
Congress MLA and party deputy leader in the state Assembly Amin Patel wrote to the municipal commissioner on November 9, seeking an inquiry and the immediate suspension of the chief fire officer. Patel’s letter raised concerns about gaps in the fire brigade’s emergency-response system.
The political dispute surfaced during proceedings involving the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The ruling side praised the fire brigade, with House Leader Ganesh Khankar saying that the department had extinguished a large number of fires in a short period and prevented a major disaster. The exchange became disorderly after Azmi referred to a video by actor Dia Mirza, after which the presiding officer, Prabhakar Shinde, moved the proceedings to the next item.
Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar rejected the allegation that the brigade had delayed its response in Dongri. He said the first vehicle was dispatched within four minutes of receiving the fire call. According to him, the fire was classified at a higher level in the tenth minute, after which additional vehicles were sent to the location.
Ambulgekar said the brigade was receiving fresh fire alerts every 10 minutes and that vehicles from all fire stations were already deployed. Several calls were waiting during the peak period, he said, but fire crews still attempted to respond to each incident.
The report also states that the fire brigade recorded 500 fire incidents over four days, while separately citing 499 incidents over five days. The municipal administration’s response to the allegations and the outcome of the requested inquiry were not reported.
