The Delhi Fire Services experienced a surge in fire-related calls this Diwali with more than 300 such incidents reported across the city, which is the highest in the past 13 years, an official said on Friday.

"The figure marks the highest number of Diwali-related fire and emergency incidents in the past 13 years," DFS chief Atul Garg said.

According to officials, the increase is attributed to the extensive use of firecrackers.

The DFS, which had ramped up its readiness for the festival by deploying fire engines and personnel across the city, reported that most calls were received between 5 pm on October 31 and 5 am on November 1.

According to the data shared by the DFS, they had received 206 fire-related calls in 2011, 184 in 2012, 177 in 2013, 211 in 2014, 290 in 2015, 243 in 2016, 204 in 2017, 271 in 2018, 245 in 2019, 205 in 2020, 152 in 2021, 201 in 2022 and 208 in 2023.

"This year, we received 318 fire-related calls. The number is the highest in the last 13 years. We were also fully prepared to tackle any and every situation with deployment of all the fire units and officials. We cancelled all the leaves and were ready to help everyone across the city," Garg said.

He said that at least 78 calls regarding fire incidents were received between 4 pm and 9 pm.

He said the peak time of such calls this year was 6 pm to 11.59 pm when the DFS received 176 fire-related calls and from 12 am to 6 am, the DFS received 144 calls.

"Last year during the same time, we had received 195 fire-related calls," he added.

The relentless bursting of firecrackers through the night blanketed Delhi in dense smoke, causing severe noise pollution and reducing visibility, as residents defied the ban on firecrackers and celebrated Diwali on Thursday.

In an effort to combat the annual spike in pollution, the Delhi government had enforced a comprehensive ban on firecrackers for the fifth consecutive year, prohibiting their manufacture, storage, sale and use.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai mobilised 377 enforcement teams, working closely with resident welfare associations, market committees, and social organisations to promote compliance. Police were deployed to monitor neighbourhoods, with officials warning that legal action would be taken against violators under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for defying government orders.

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