The Pune City Fire Brigade responded to 17 fire incidents due to firecrackers on Monday night — between 7 pm and 12 am — during the Diwali celebrations, with one injured and no casualties reported.
All the fire stations across Pune have been on alert during the festival.
A four-year-old boy suffered severe burn injuries on the face while he was bursting firecrackers near his home in Pune’s Narhe Gaon on Monday night. The boy — identified as Shivansh Dalvi — was lighting a firework fountain when it suddenly burst and injured him.
A video of the incident, which was widely circulated on social media, has not been reported to the fire brigade or the police. “Shivansh underwent treatment, and is stable now,” said his father Amol Dalvi, who runs a restaurant in the area itself.
According to officials, five incidents of trees catching fire were reported on Monday. The incidents were reported from Janata Vasahat’s Lane Number 47 at 7.55 pm, Vishrantwadi area at 8.48 pm, Shweta Society on Sinhagad Road and Vadgaon Sheri’s Tempo Chowk at 9.55 pm, and Santosh Hall at 10.31 pm.
A fire broke out in the balcony of a house in Sai Siddhi Society in Ambegaon Pathar at 8.23 pm; in the parking area of a residential complex on BT Kawade Road — seven two-wheelers gutted — at 8.30 pm; on the terrace of a school at 8.44 pm after a sky-shot cracker fell there; and inside a locked house near Warje Malwadi’s Chaitanya Chowk at 8.51.
At 9.40 pm, a fire was reported from an old Wada — cluster of houses — in Guruwar Peth. Two more fire incidents were reported from Lohegaon’s Amba Nagari at 9.46 pm, and in the balcony of a house near Lakdi Ganpati at 10 pm, said officials on Tuesday.
In Aundh’s DP Road, a 3BHK flat on the first floor of a 12-storey building was completely gutted around 10.30 pm. Seven fire tenders deployed to douse the fire rescued the occupants of the flat and its adjoining ones in time, and no casualties were reported.
On BT Kawade Road, seven motorbikes were gutted in a blaze due to crackers.
Five more fire incidents were reported between 10 pm (Monday) and 12 midnight.
Mentioning that fire incidents due to firecrackers could pose serious risk to life and property, officials concerned have urged the people to “celebrate the festival responsibly”.
