SRINAGAR: At least 25 fire incidents were reported across the Kashmir Valley over the past four days, from Sunday to Thursday morning, with all blazes brought under control and no loss of life recorded, officials said.
According to official data, around 20 fire incidents occurred between Sunday and Wednesday in several districts, including Srinagar, Sopore, Kupwara, Bandipora, Pulwama, Budgam, Kulgam, Ganderbal and Anantnag. The fires affected residential houses, cowsheds, temporary sheds and commercial structures. Fire and Emergency Services teams responded promptly and contained the blazes, restricting damage largely to property.
In the past 24 hours alone, fire personnel attended to five more incidents across the Kashmir Division.
One of the major incidents was reported from the Kalashpora area of Srinagar, where a fire broke out in a four-storey commercial building, damaging a cable operating unit on the second floor and a wood-carving unit on the third floor. Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to other floors and nearby buildings.
In Kupwara district, a hamam room of a single-storey residential house was damaged in a fire at Muqaam Shah Wali in Drugmulla, while another blaze in Dahama village of Vilgam involved a double-storey cowshed and a single-storey storeroom. Both incidents were swiftly contained.
A fire was also reported from the Natipora area of Sangam in Anantnag district, where a single-storey cowshed and an attached store shed made of GCI sheets were affected. In Bandipora’s Hajin area, the rooftop of a residential house caught fire in Gadd Henz Mohalla of Mokdamyari. Despite poor road connectivity, firefighters reached the site on foot and extinguished the blaze, saving the remaining structure.
Fire and Emergency Services have advised residents to exercise caution while using heating appliances and electrical devices during winter to prevent such incidents.
Jammu and Kashmir received 6,752 fire calls in 2024, including 42 false alarms. While 2,938 buildings were affected during the year, property worth approximately Rs 1,699 crore was saved. The department attributed most fires to LPG leakages, electrical overloads, short circuits and the increased use of heating devices.
The Fire and Emergency Department has not yet released the data for the year 2025.
