The early onset of summer also marks the premature arrival of the fire season in the state capital. Fire and emergency services, however, have failed to adapt to the shift in meteorological trends. Mock drills and safety programmes continue into April—by which time the city, particularly its green cover, is already scorched by several major fires.
Traditionally, May was considered peak fire season. That timeline no longer holds. Rising temperatures in March and April are fuelling an increasing number of fire incidents in tandem with the early spurt in mercury each year.
Meteorologist Premendra Kumar from the city weather office explains, “Clear skies, high winds, and soaring temperatures are the main reasons small fires spiral out of control. Once February ends, the air dries out and humidity drops. This is when preparedness should begin.â€
The consequences are already visible. In under two days, a major fire turned lakhs of tonnes of unsegregated waste into ash at the municipal landfill at Adampur. Thousands of mature trees were devastated in a blaze near Kaliyasot. Flames swept across industrial plots in Bharat Heavy Electricals township. In nearby Mandideep, a gas leak scare triggered brief panic.
Despite such incidents, the city’s preparedness remains caught in routine. Fire Officer Saurabh Patel says his team conducts drills annually to prepare for emergencies, but these follow a fixed calendar. “We’re still in the planning stage—audits will begin soon,†he says.
In what appeared to be a reactive step, a mock drill was held at BHEL on April 17 to simulate a fuel fire emergency similar to the Jaipur bus and tanker crash.
Earlier this month, a multi-agency exercise involving the SDRF, NDRF, Medical Department, Fire Department, and BMC was held in the presence of senior officials including the Mayor and Additional Commissioner Devendra Singh Chauhan. Fire Safety Week is currently being observed by the district health department from April 21 to 26.
However, these planned activities are running behind a season that is already in full swing. Fires at private properties have also surged—many traced to short circuits. The early onset has placed heavy strain on fire brigades, which are struggling to respond to multiple fire-related emergencies at the same time.
This year’s fires have shown how vulnerable different zones of the city are for different reasons. In forested areas, dry undergrowth is turning into kindling. In industrial zones, volatile materials are reacting to rising heat. And in residential areas, ageing wiring systems are being pushed beyond capacity as air conditioners and coolers run through the day.
Experts say timely drills and audits could have helped mitigate these risks, which demand targeted prevention. Forest belts need regular clearing of dry matter. Industrial clusters require tighter monitoring of storage conditions, recalibration of leak detectors, and regular updates to evacuation protocols. Meanwhile, housing colonies and apartment complexes require upgrading of old wiring, balancing electrical loads, and ensuring that fire extinguishers, alarms, and basic tools are easily accessible.
With the Adampur fire still smouldering, and heatwaves expected to intensify in the coming weeks, the gap between seasonal shifts and administrative action is now too wide to ignore.
