Winter Fires Rising

A sharp rise in winter fires is reshaping daily life across Kashmir, exposing how unsafe heating habits and aging wiring place families at risk.

- Ikkz Ikbal

Fire trucks have been racing through Kashmir almost every night this season. Sirens cut through the shivering cold, echoing off empty streets as crews rush toward homes already glowing with orange light.

Winter has only begun, and the valley is witnessing a troubling surge in fire incidents that shows no sign of slowing down.

The danger grows sharper with every degree the temperature drops.

This rise feels alarming because these fires rarely stay contained. Houses in older neighbourhoods stand close together, many built with timber frames that catch in seconds.

A spark inside one kitchen or bedroom can spread across an entire lane before families understand what has happened. People step out into the freezing night wearing pherans, watching flames swallow years of work, saving only what they can grab during those frantic moments.

The broader numbers show how deeply the crisis has taken hold.

In 2024, the Fire and Emergency Services Department responded to 6,752 calls across Jammu and Kashmir. Nearly 3,000 buildings were damaged. Twenty-three firefighters were injured while trying to pull people out.

Over the six-year period from 2018 to 2023, the region witnessed 26,354 fire incidents that claimed 486 lives and left more than 500 people injured.

Each statistic carries a human story, often unreported and sometimes too painful for families to retell.