Is Ghaziabad ready to tackle blazes? Only 23 fire engines, a single crane for high fires

“We rushed two hydraulic cranes and four fire tenders along with our personnel,” Pradeep Kumar, Chief Fire Officer of GB Nagar, said. Around 9 am on Thursday, when the fire at Gaur Green Avenue in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad had already been raging for 30-45 minutes, the Fire Department of neighbouring Gautam Buddha Nagar district received a request for additional fire-fighting equipment. “We rushed two hydraulic cranes and four fire tenders along with our personnel,” Pradeep Kumar, Chief Fire Officer of GB Nagar, said.Several residents of the housing society said on Thursday that even though the Ghaziabad Fire personnel reached fairly quickly – and managed to rescue 10 people trapped in their flats – they were constrained by the lack of sufficient equipment to fight the fire effectively. Videos showed water jets failing to reach the higher floors in the initial period. Ghaziabad Chief Fire Officer Rahul Pal said the Fire Department has only 22 fire tenders for the whole of the district with an area of about 780 sq km and a population of 4.7 million (2011 Census). There is only one hydraulic crane that can reach up to 42 metres or about 14 storeys, far lower than many buildings in Ghaziabad city. Fire officials said the Department has only three water bowser machines, three water mist machines, two foam tenders, two rescue tenders and 19 water tenders of which only one is of 22,000-kl capacity. These vehicles are stationed at five fire stations in Kotwali, Hindon, Loni, Modinagar, and Vaishali Indiranagar, and at six outpost stations. The Ghaziabad Chief Fire Officer said that effective firefighting depends very significantly on the internal systems of residential societies.Story continues below this ad “We are an external system for providing aid, the internal system of every society should be robust,” he said. The CFO also said that the district is in the process of acquiring two hydraulic cranes, each of which can reach up to 101 metres. Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in the Noida bureau. She primarily covers crime, health, and environmental issues, as well as human-interest features across Noida, Ghaziabad, and Western Uttar Pradesh. Professional Profile Education: She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Core Beat: Her work focuses on the administrative and social challenges of the NCR's satellite cities. She is known for her detailed reporting on civic infrastructure (like the Noida International Airport), environmental violations, and high-profile criminal investigations. Personal Interests: Outside of reporting, she is an avid reader of fiction (citing The Thursday Murder Club and Yellowface as recent favorites) and a gardening enthusiast. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Neetika’s recent reportage has been dominated by winter-related crises in the NCR and significant criminal legalities: 1. Environment & Public Safety "Greater Noida Authority slaps fines on firms for violating GRAP IV norms" (Dec 21, 2025): Reporting on heavy penalties imposed on major developers like NBCC for flouting anti-pollution construction bans. "Fatal pile-up on Yamuna Expressway: Fog, high speed emerge as key safety risks" (Dec 17, 2025): A major report on a 15-vehicle collision caused by dense fog that killed 17 people. "At Chilla, Kalindi, DND, many fined Rs 20,000 for non-compliance to Delhi's BS-VI rule" (Dec 19, 2025): On-the-ground reporting from the borders where Noida police penalize non-compliant vehicles entering the capital. "Driving in Noida amid fog? New speed limits in effect till Feb 15" (Dec 13, 2025): Detailing the seasonal traffic restrictions aimed at preventing highway accidents. 2. Crime & Legal Developments "'Have you ever heard of a murder case being withdrawn?': Court in Akhlaq lynching case" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering a critical courtroom hearing where the court questioned the UP government's petition to w