News: Seven High-Rise Fire Safety Steps for Summer-29-04-2026
A major fire in a high-rise residential building in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, on April 29 set off a large firefighting and rescue operation, soon after a fire reportedly engulfed two luxury flats in Sector 63A, Gurugram. Such incidents, often linked to short circuits in peak summer, have renewed concern about safety in multi-storey complexes. Experts recommend the following.
Service air conditioners. Poorly maintained appliances, especially ACs, are a leading cause of fires. Munish Kumar, founder director, EHS Guru Sustainable Solutions Pvt Ltd, said societies should raise power load capacity ahead of higher consumption, but many delay this because of cost and procedure. Residents should avoid running ACs continuously and keep them at around 24°C.
Install extinguishers inside and outside apartments. Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) should hold regular training and mock drills.
Use staircases, not lifts. Lifts are for firefighters only. Pressurisation systems keep staircases relatively smoke-free, so they must stay unobstructed, and the systems and smoke detectors should be checked regularly.
Clean chimneys. Oil deposits can ignite at high temperatures. Societies with commercial kitchens, such as in clubhouses, need additional fire safety systems.
Keep fire water systems working. Tanks are usually underground or on terraces, and in some complexes swimming pools are integrated as a supplementary source.
Conduct fire audits. They are mandated every two years under the National Building Code 2016, yet many societies treat them as an avoidable expense, Kumar said.
Check smoke detectors and sprinklers. In buildings taller than 30 metres (over 15 floors), detectors in homes are mandatory and linked to the central system. Kumar warned that renovation often damages or disables them.
Experts added that firefighting infrastructure in Delhi-NCR has not kept pace with vertical growth, and high-rises must renew fire No Objection Certificates on time. Kumar said fire safety must be treated "as a human right, not a compliance checkbox". Rajiva Singh, president of the Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations, urged RWAs to prioritise electrical audits, AC servicing and removal of inflammable materials.
