AC Explosion Leads To Massive Fire In 2-Storey Ghaziabad House

The fire was caused when the AC unit exploded after running for hours on end. The fire was doused within an hour and there were no casualties.

A massive fire broke out at a housing unit in a society in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad on Thursday after an air conditioner (AC) burst into flames. According to an India Today report, the air conditioner was left running for hours continuously.

Chief Fire Officer Rahul Palt told the news outlet that, around 5.30 am, the Vaishali Fire station received information that a fire had broken out at a 2-storey building in Vasundhara. Two fire tenders rushed to the spot immediately. The fire was caused after the AC unit exploded. The fire was doused within an hour and there were no casualties. 

The AC installed on the first floor of the building went up in flames after the explosion, with the fire then reaching the second floor. The residents and neighbours tried to douse the flames to no avail, and the fire department was soon informed about the fire.

Fire In Noida

The Vasundhara incident comes just a day after a fire broke out in an apartment on the 17th floor of a high-rise tower in a group housing society in Noida. No casualty was reported in the blaze that took place around 8 pm at Eldeco Aamantran Society in Sector 119.

"The fire broke out due to a short circuit in the air conditioner in the flat and spread through its balcony," a police spokesperson was quoted as saying by PTI. 

Advisory To Avoid Fire

There have been frequent fire incidents due to ACs this summer season, and the Noida Police has issued an advisory to help avoid these.

“Air conditioners should not be operated continuously. Instead, they should be switched off at regular intervals and regularly serviced to prevent overheating and subsequent fire risks," PTI quoted the police as saying. 

Maintenance of electrical appliances goes a long way when it comes to ensuring safety, with most residential societies experiencing high load conditions during peak summer. “While societies should ideally be increasing their power load capacity in anticipation of higher consumption, many do not because of the time-consuming process and the costs involved,” Hindustan Times quoted Munish Kumar, founder director of EHS Guru Sustainable Solutions Pvt Ltd, as saying.