Ahmedabad Fire Brigade Responds to 26 Emergency Calls By 11 PM as Sparks Set Balconies, Waste Dumps Ablaze on Diwali Night

AHMEDABAD — High-spirited Diwali celebrations across Ahmedabad were marred by a flurry of fire emergencies on Sunday night, with the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) responding to 26 urgent calls by 11 pm as stray firecrackers and electrical short circuits triggered blazes across the city.

The emergency control room was bombarded with phone calls late into the night as rocket sparks and aerial fireworks landed on dry garbage, open plots, and locked apartment balconies in both the eastern and western zones. Thanks to the swift response of firefighters deployed across all city fire stations, every blaze was quickly brought under control, averting major structural damage and leaving no casualties reported.

High Alert Across Ahmedabad Fire Stations

Anticipating a surge in mishaps during the festive evening, AFES officials had placed the entire municipal fire fleet on high alert. The calm of Diwali night broke as soon as widespread pyrotechnics began, setting off a non-stop stream of emergency calls to the 112 control centre.

Fire tenders stationed at nearby depots were dispatched within minutes of each message, ensuring rapid intervention before localized sparks could escalate into full-scale industrial or residential disasters.

"Most of the calls received through the night were of minor to medium intensity," confirmed a senior fire officer. "Because our teams were pre-positioned on standby across all zones, water tenders reached the affected spots promptly to douse the flames within minutes, preventing any catastrophic losses."

Balconies and Unattended Terraces Become Soft Targets

A preliminary investigation by the fire department revealed a troubling pattern behind the night's incidents. Unattended flat balconies, locked apartments, and building terraces storing discarded household items emerged as the primary sites of ignition.

Flying sky rockets and aerial fireworks routinely descended into open galleries where residents had accumulated cardboard boxes, old mattresses, or clotheslines. The dry materials caught fire almost instantly upon contact with burning embers. Similarly, overgrown dry grass in unkept plots and roadside garbage dumps burned rapidly, requiring immediate water spraying to secure the surrounding neighborhood buildings.

Local authorities have re-issued guidelines urging citizens to clear flammable debris and junk from balconies and rooftop spaces before burning fireworks during the remainder of the festive season.

Ahmedabad fire news, Diwali fire crackers accident, Ahmedabad Fire Brigade, Diwali emergency calls Ahmedabad, Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, Ahmedabad city news, Fire safety Diwali 2026