Continuing intense heat and rising electricity demand appear to be pushing the city’s ageing power infrastructure to its limits, with exclusive fire department data revealing that more than half of all fire emergencies reported this month so far were linked to electrical infrastructure failures.
Data accessed from the Lucknow fire department shows that between May 1 and May 22, the city recorded 314 fire incidents. Of them, 158 cases (over 50%) were linked directly or indirectly to transformers, electric poles, overhead wires and air-conditioners.
Electrical poles and overhead wire-related incidents formed the biggest chunk with 115 cases, followed by 39 transformer fires. Four incidents were linked to air-conditioners catching fire amid continuous usage during peak summer.
The data reflects the growing strain on Lucknow’s power distribution network as temperatures continue to hover above normal levels and electricity consumption surges across residential and commercial areas. Several parts of the city like Chinhat, Faizullaganj, have simultaneously been witnessing long power cuts, voltage fluctuations and transformer breakdowns over the past few weeks.
The spike in electrical fire incidents became sharper during the latter half of May. On May 21 and 22 alone, the fire department recorded eight transformer fires and 38 incidents involving electrical poles or overhead wires. Overall fire calls during these two days stood at 39 and 42 respectively — among the highest single-day figures this month.
Fire officials said many incidents involved transformers overheating, snapping wires and short-circuit in densely populated localities, often resulting in temporary disruption of electricity supply.
A senior fire department official said excessive load on transformers and local electricity lines during extreme heat conditions significantly increases the risk of overheating and short circuits.
Chief fire officer Ankush Mittal said emergency teams are also witnessing an increase in calls related to local electrical faults, particularly during evening peak-load hours when electricity consumption remains highest.
“Our firemen are working overnight as they have to be alert. Fire in poles and transformers are tricky as their connection needs to be cut before water sprinkling,” he added.
“Continuous use of cooling appliances puts tremendous pressure on local power infrastructure. In many areas, old transformers and overloaded distribution lines become vulnerable to sparking or catching fire,” the CFO said.
With temperatures expected to remain high in near future, officials fear the pressure on Lucknow’s power infrastructure and the resulting fire emergencies could intensify further in the coming weeks.