Chandigarh: Diwali was celebrated peacefully in the city, with no major fire incidents reported in any commercial, residential or industrial area.The MC fire and rescue services department received 29 calls on Sunday, the day of Diwali. Of these, 20 were related to dry grass, waste and other such incidents, while three involved minor electrical fires and two concerned temporary structures.The department reported no injury or casualty-related emergency calls. Average response time was recorded at 4.34 seconds.According to records, Manimajra fire station received the highest number of calls at 11, followed by Sector 32, Sector 38 and Sector 17 fire stations, with four each. Of the city’s seven fire stations, the remaining three received two calls each.“Besides regular fire tenders, additional fire vehicles were also stationed at every fire station, but no such requirement was felt at any of them,” sources said.The fire and rescue services department had set up temporary fire posts at seven major markets and commercial areas, as well as at all 13 firecracker sites on Nov 7 and 8. Not a single fire incident was reported at these high-footfall locations, and all the stationed vehicles were withdrawn on Monday.“The department had stationed fire tenders with fire personnel in three shifts for round-the-clock monitoring and quick action, if required, but not a single fire incident took place at any site,” sources told TOI.As a precautionary measure, the fire department had also deployed fire motorcycles in congested market areas across the city. These motorcycles patrolled inside and outside the markets during Diwali to ensure quick response. The department coordinated with market welfare associations and Chandigarh Traffic Police to keep passages clear and free of encroachments, ensuring safe and unobstructed access for fire vehicles.
