Mumbai bans aerial firecrackers till Nov 25 after surge in Diwali fire calls

Aerial firecrackers have been banned across Mumbai till November 25, 2026, after a sharp rise in fire incidents during Diwali. The ban was imposed on Monday. Municipal officials said about 96 per cent of the fires recorded on Sunday were caused by firecrackers.

According to figures released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Mumbai Fire Brigade received 142 emergency calls about fires, of which 137 were caused by firecrackers. Officials said the high number of incidents had raised serious concerns about public safety, particularly in densely populated residential areas and high-rise buildings.

The order has been issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and will remain in force till 11.59 pm on November 25. It applies to all public and private places within the municipal limits, including residential buildings, terraces, balconies, courtyards and slums.

Officials said violations can attract imprisonment of up to six months, a fine, or both, under Section 51 of the Act. They also clarified that if non-compliance results in a death or endangers human life, the jail term can extend to one year.

The decision follows similar restrictions in Thane district, where firing rockets and other aerial firecrackers was banned till January 8, 2027. That ban was extended across six municipal corporations, including Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Bhiwandi, Mira-Bhayandar and Ulhasnagar. With both orders in force, aerial firecrackers are now banned in seven of the nine municipal corporations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Only Vasai-Virar and Panvel remain outside the restrictions.

Fire brigade records show the most incidents occurred in Zone 4, which covers Malad, Goregaon, Kandivali and Dahisar, with 53 cases. Zones 2, 3 and 6 recorded 23 incidents each, while Zone 1 recorded the fewest.

Several major fires were also reported in the city during the festival, including in Dongri, Andheri and Ghatkopar. In one incident, shops were damaged. In a fire at a residential tower in Andheri, a lift operator died of smoke inhalation. In a separate incident, an elderly resident was admitted to hospital with breathing difficulty.

Officials said investigations into the exact causes of these fires are still under way. Meanwhile, residential societies have issued advisories urging caution to prevent the use of aerial firecrackers near buildings and residential streets. The restrictions have been described as a preventive step to reduce the risk of fire during the festival and protect residents, especially in densely populated areas, where bursting firecrackers can pose a serious safety threat.