Hyderabad saw 2-3 fire accidents daily in 2025: Human errors, short circuits to blame, says DFO

Hyderabad: The capital city saw over 50 incidents of fire mishaps from January 1 till February 10 (Monday). On average, the city has recorded about two or three fire accidents daily, according to the information given by the fire safety department officials.

When it comes to fire mishaps and subsequent loss of life and property, the first months of 2025 have been a disaster for Hyderabad.

The latest incident was a major fire that broke out early morning on Monday in Hyderabad’s popular Dewan Devdi market in the historic Pathergatti neighbourhood, destroying numerous textile and garment stores on the second and third floors of the building.

Over 30 stores were impacted, and store owners reported losses totalling crores of rupees. Fortunately, there have been no recorded fatalities or injuries.

No fire prevention systems in Old City

“I’ve been making multiple videos about how there are no mechanisms in the Old City to prevent fires. It is high time for authorities to look into it. None of the buildings have fire escapes and no safety rules are being followed. The situation would have been different if construction was allowed only after a proper regulatory authority approval,” said a resident of Old City, who wished to remain anonymous.

Hyderabad District Fire Officer (DFO) T Venkanna said the incident at Dewan Devdi market happened around 1:30 am and the department received the alert around 2:15 am. Despite the deployment of about 10 to 15 fire engines to put out the fire, firefighters found it difficult to work because of the tight lanes and the extremely flammable materials present.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and crores of rupees worth property was burnt to ashes in the incident, he added.

Over 50 fire accidents were reported in Hyderabad in January

This was not the first significant fire to occur in Hyderabad. The occurrences range from minor kitchen fires in homes to huge commercial and industrial disasters.

In January alone, the city experienced over 50 fires, including the fire accident on two boats at Hussain Sagar on January 26, due to the bursting of firecrackers as part of the ‘Bharat Mata Maha Arati’ programme organised at People’s Plaza on Necklace Road.

A 22-year-old identified as Ganapati, a native of East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, passed away due to injuries on January 28. He was part of the team that was bursting firecrackers from a boat in the lake as part of the event.

Another youth identified as Ajay, a resident of Hanuman Temple Lane in ECIL, also succumbed to the incident. His body was recovered almost 45 hours after the incident, as he jumped into the Hussain Sagar after the boat he was in caught fire from the fireworks.

Three fire accidents were reported on January 24

On January 24, the city reported three large blazes occurring in separate regions of the city. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

The first incident happened at a tiffin centre in Nizampet, Bachupally. A gas leak was alleged to have caused the incident. In the second incident, a fire broke out inside a recording studio near the Falaknuma police station and the fire is thought to have been caused by a short circuit. The third incident occurred at a fabrication shop near Pillar No 112 in Gudimalkapur, resulting in an estimated property loss of Rs 30-40 lakh. There were no casualties reported.

Human errors and short circuits

Speaking to NewsMeter, DFO, Secunderabad A Sreedas said that human errors and electricity short circuits are the major reasons for fire mishaps in the city.

Apart from that, overloading, usage of poor-quality wiring and loose connections have caused fire accidents in residential and commercial establishments. “Residents should be more cautious in the summer and they should conduct an electrical auditing with certified electricians to prevent fire accidents in their place,” he said.

Timeline of major fire incidents reported in Hyderabad

January 17: A major fire broke out at a fertility centre adjacent to DMart at Shaikpet. The fire rapidly spread towards a study centre and Reliance Trends mart in the same building. No casualties were reported in the incident. HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath inspected the spot and underscored the need for AI tech to alert fire safety teams instantly.

January 23: A fire broke out at a Mahindra car showroom near Kondapur junction. Several new cars in the showroom were destroyed. No casualties were reported. The loss was estimated in crores of rupees.

February 4: A major fire broke out in a factory in Hyderabad’s Cherlapally industrial region in Telangana. Chemical drums erupted in the Shesha Sai chemical factory. The fires were so intense that the surrounding regions filled with smoke when the drums stored in a row exploded.

February 9: A major fire broke out at a plastic company in Katedan Industrial Estate, Mailardevpally police station limits. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.