New Delhi: Mumbai and Thane authorities on November 9 imposed restrictions on rockets and other aerial firecrackers following a sharp rise in fire incidents during Diwali, according to a report by The Economic Times. Firecrackers accounted for the overwhelming majority of fire calls in Mumbai on Diwali.The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday prohibited the use of aerial fireworks across Mumbai until November 25. The Thane district administration had announced a similar ban earlier on Monday, extending until January 8, 2027.As per The Economic Times report, the restrictions follow a particularly busy day for the Mumbai Fire Brigade. On November 8, it received 142 fire calls, of which 137 were attributed to firecrackers. One person died in connection with the incidents.The Indian Express also reported that firecrackers accounted for 96% of the fire incidents recorded in Mumbai on Sunday as per BMC data. The report highlighted the scale of the increase, noting that firecrackers had caused 113 of the 289 fire calls during Diwali festivities in 2025 and 80 of 262 in 2024. The surge in incidents prompted fire authorities to mobilise additional personnel. Mumbai Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar told The Indian Express that the number of fires reported during this year’s Diwali was significantly higher than in previous years. The department cancelled staff leave to ensure that maximum personnel were available to respond to emergencies.The BMC’s order cites the danger posed by burning embers and debris from aerial fireworks falling on rooftops, balconies, windows and other inflammable materials. It invokes provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and extends the restrictions to residential buildings, terraces, balconies, courtyards, parking areas, public and private properties, and slum settlements.BMC said the risk was particularly serious in Mumbai’s densely populated neighbourhoods, where a fire could result in substantial loss of life and property.The Thane district administration’s order covers six municipal corporations: Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Bhiwandi, Mira-Bhayandar and Ulhasnagar, according to The Indian Express.Thane District Collector Shrikrishna Panchal, who also heads the District Disaster Management Authority, cited public safety concerns and the increasing number of fire accidents while issuing the directive. The order also flagged unsafe practices, including people lighting rockets while holding them in their hands.Those in violation of the Thane order can face action under Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act. As reported by The Indian Express, the provision allows imprisonment of up to one year, a fine or both for non-compliance, with the maximum imprisonment extending to two years if the violation results in loss of life or poses imminent danger.The BMC’s order, however, does not specify penalties for violations, The Indian Express reported.The latest restrictions come against the backdrop of existing firecracker regulations in Maharashtra. The Bombay high court has imposed a year-round prohibition on bursting firecrackers on public roads, lanes and footpaths across the state to address air and noise pollution. The new directives extend restrictions on aerial fireworks to private and residential spaces as well.