Uttarakhand / Dehradun: Fire engines ran all night on Diwali, 12 fires were reported in 6:30 hours, and firecrackers caused chaos

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From late Monday evening to early Tuesday morning, 12 fires were reported in Dehradun city within a span of just six and a half hours. The most serious fires occurred at a plastic warehouse in Mehunwala and on the roof of the Niranjanpur Mandi. It is a matter of relief that public awareness and the promptness of the fire station averted major loss of life and property. Although the number of fires has decreased compared to last year, the number of fires this time was also a major cause of fire.
As soon as the fireworks began on Diwali night, reports of fires suddenly increased. From 7:32 pm to around 2 am, the fire station received 12 calls, most of which were related to firecracker-related fires. Of these 12 incidents, the most severe were in Mehunwala and Niranjanpur Mandi.
The strong smell emanating from the plastic warehouse in Mehunwala made breathing difficult
A massive fire broke out in a large plastic warehouse in Mehunwala. Due to the flammability of plastic, the fire spread rapidly, posing a significant challenge for the fire department. The fire was so intense that it took the fire department one and a half hours to completely control it. The biggest challenge was that the burning plastic emitted a large amount of toxic smoke and a strong odor throughout the area. This posed challenges for firefighters engaged in the firefighting operation, and also caused breathing difficulties for those nearby. To control the situation, the fire department installed special exhausts to remove the smoke and plastic odor.
Major accident averted in Niranjanpur Mandi
A massive fire broke out on the roof of a building in Niranjanpur Mandi. Fruit crates, wooden items, and fruits were stored on the roof, covered with a plastic tarpaulin/tent. According to preliminary investigations, the fire was likely caused by plastic firecrackers (such as Skyshot), which immediately caught the tarpaulin. Fortunately, those inside the building were able to evacuate in time, preventing any casualties.
The fire department was busy all night
Ten other incidents were reported, including a shop in Dharamwala, a moving car on GMS Road, an electrical fire in Rajiv Nagar, a poly house in Nehru Gram, a tree on Old Rajpur Road, and a house and car fire near Saraswati Bihar. All units at the Dehradun Fire Station responded promptly to all 12 fire calls, averting major loss of life and property.
Public Awareness as Reason for Decrease
Fire Safety Officer Kishore Upadhyay said that it is a matter of relief that the number of fires this year has decreased significantly compared to last year’s Diwali (39 calls). This is attributed to the fire department’s public awareness campaign, which has led people to avoid storing flammable materials like junk on rooftops, reducing the number of minor fires. However, firecrackers were the main cause of most fires this year, and the cause is being investigated.
Time and location of fires from Diwali evening to the next 6:30 hours
(1) 19:32 Shop fire in Dharamwala
(2) 20:25 Shop roof fire in Niranjanpur Building
(3) 20:40 Scrap fire in Harbhajan Menhuwala
(4) 21:04 Scrap fire in a scrap shop
(5) 21:50 House fire in Saraswati Bihar near Mata Mandir
(6) 22:12 Empty plot in junk, Chandrabani
(7) 23:10 Car fire in GMS Road
(8) 23:25 Electrical fire in Rajiv Nagar house
(9) 00:35 Poly house fire in Nehru Village
(10) Tree fire in Old Rajpur Road
(11) 01:32 Electrical pole fire
(12) 01:42 Car fire in Saraswati