Nawshaba Iqbal
Srinagar, Dec 10: Srinagar has recorded a significant drop in fire incidents this year, with Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) reporting 468 cases till November compared to 720 last year.
As per the official figures, the monthly average has also fallen sharply from around 60 incidents in 2024 to about 42 in 2025.
Despite the decline, officials, however, warn that Kashmir is entering the season of heightened fire risk as winter pushes households to rely more on heating appliances, LPG and electrical devices.
Assistant Director, Fire and Emergency Services, Dr Aqib Hussain Mir, said the winter months demand extra caution.
“With the use of heating devices, LPG and electrical gadgets going up, the chances of fire remain higher,” he told ‘Excelsior’.
He said many incidents occur due to non-standard equipment, lack of servicing and unsafe handling.
“People should buy ISI-marked equipment and follow the basic safety instructions that come with every appliance,” he said, adding that overloading sockets and ignored wiring issues lead to most electrical-origin fires.
Households have been advised to service heating appliances before winter, maintain ventilation while using LPG or coal-based heaters, and switch off all devices before leaving home.
Mir said keeping a dry chemical powder extinguisher at home can help control small fires at the initial stage.
“A spark becomes a major fire only when it is not handled in time,” he said. An extinguisher costing between Rs 3,000 and Rs 7,000, he noted, can prevent major losses.
Electrical faults such as short circuits, overloading and ageing wiring continue to be the primary causes of winter fires.
“An electrical audit every 8–10 years helps detect insulation breaks and faulty MCBs,” Dr Mir said.
He urged citizens to call 101 immediately during any fire incident instead of uploading videos on social media.
On the operational hurdles the fire fighters face, he said that the fire stations respond within a minute of receiving information, but, as per him, wrong parking and traffic congestion often delay access.
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