Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde has urged residents to follow firecracker restrictions and celebrate Diwali safely after the city recorded 142 fire incidents on November 8, including 137 linked to firecrackers, according to data shared by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Two women were injured in the incidents.
Tawde reminded Mumbaikars of the Bombay High Court’s directions that prohibit bursting firecrackers on footpaths, public roads and other public places. She also advised residents to avoid rockets and other aerial firecrackers that could enter homes, injure people or damage property.
“As Mumbai’s First Citizen I warmly appeal to you to ensure that no accidents mar the joy of Diwali. Follow the High Court’s rules when bursting firecrackers, avoid bursting them on public roads and cooperate with the authorities,” Tawde said in a statement cited by Mid-Day.
The Mumbai Fire Brigade has advised residents to burst firecrackers only in open spaces and maintain a safe distance from buildings, hutments, shops, parking areas, petrol pumps, electrical transformers and overhead power lines. Residents have also been asked to keep a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher nearby while fireworks are being used.
The civic safety guidance says parents should supervise children during firecracker use. Residents have been advised not to hold firecrackers in their hands, direct rockets towards buildings or relight fireworks that have already burnt or failed to explode. The Fire Brigade has also asked people to wear cotton clothes instead of loose-fitting or synthetic garments.
The BMC has cautioned residents against storing paper, cloth and other combustible materials on terraces, balconies, near windows or around homes during the celebrations. In the event of a fire, residents have been asked to move to a safe location without panicking and alert the Fire Brigade.
The latest figures are higher than the city’s reported Diwali fire totals in the previous two years. Mumbai recorded 262 fire incidents during Diwali in 2024, including 80 attributed to firecrackers, with three people injured. In 2025, the city reported 289 fire incidents, of which 113 were linked to firecrackers; no casualties or injuries were reported that year, according to the civic data cited in the report.
Residents can contact the Mumbai Fire Brigade on 101 in case of a fire or emergency. The additional numbers listed by the BMC are 9076333101, 9076333102, 9076333103, 9076333104 and 9076333105. The civic helpline 1916 is also available for assistance.
