Firecrackers Spark Chaos in Surat: Blazes Erupt Across the City

Just two days ago, on October 18, 2025, the city of Surat in India experienced two significant fire incidents that caused widespread concern but were quickly contained by the local fire department.

The first incident occurred around 2:17 pm when firecrackers being sold on a footpath near Anthem Circle on the Outer Ring Road caught fire, rapidly destroying the stock. The Surat Fire and Emergency Services (SFES) responded swiftly, dispatching teams from the Sarthana and Puna fire stations. As the blaze spread rapidly due to the numerous cracker bundles displayed on the wide footpath, the seller fled the scene, and the intense fire sent sparks and burning crackers flying onto nearby vehicles and the road, causing a traffic standstill and panic among bystanders.

In a separate incident that same day, a warehouse storing textile waste in the Sachin GIDC industrial area caught fire around 1:54 pm, destroying a large quantity of waste material and damaging a recycling machine kept for processing. This incident followed a similar fire just two days earlier at Vraj Chowk in the Sarthana area, where a young boy accidentally dropped a throw bomb while inspecting it, setting off a blaze that gutted several cracker stalls on the roadside.

Despite the alarming nature of these incidents, the prompt action of the fire officials prevented the flames from spreading further, and there were no reported casualties. However, the back-to-back fire outbreaks in Surat have raised concerns about the need for stricter safety measures and better regulation of hazardous materials in the city.