DIMAPUR : Nagaland’s commercial hub Dimapur recorded 59 fire incidents between January and December 2025, with short circuits emerging as the single largest cause, according to data compiled from the Central and West Fire Stations.

Official records show that the fires resulted in an estimated property loss of around ?6.88 crore and affected more than 500 families during the year. No fatalities were reported in any of the incidents.

Fire officials said electrical faults accounted for more than half of the cases, with short circuits alone responsible for 26 fires. These incidents affected residential colonies, commercial establishments and public institutions, highlighting persistent concerns over electrical safety and wiring standards in the city.

Data further indicated that non-Naga residents suffered the maximum damage, with a majority of the fires reported in kaccha houses. April witnessed the highest number of incidents, with nine cases, followed by October with seven. Authorities recorded only one fire incident in May, while no cases were reported in June.

Besides short circuits, other causes included open flames, burning of waste, gas leakage and incidents of unknown origin. A significant number of cases between January and October were categorised under “unknown causes,” reflecting gaps in determining the exact triggers of several fires.

Officials noted that routine human activities such as waste burning, smoking meat, clearing bushes, cooking, use of LPG cylinders, and in some instances suspected arson or burglary, were linked to multiple incidents during the year.

According to cause-wise data, 24 fires were of unknown origin, six were linked to open burning activities, two were caused by gas leakage and one was suspected to be related to arson or burglary, bringing the total to 59. In terms of severity, 28 incidents were classified as major, four as medium, 25 as minor and two as jungle fires.

The Central Fire Station also provided assistance to West Dimapur on four occasions and extended support to neighbouring Assam in another four incidents, underlining the scale and intensity of some emergencies.

In neighbouring Chümoukedima district, authorities reported around 20 fire incidents during the same period, most of them forest or jungle fires. These incidents resulted in property and environmental losses estimated at ?2.96 crore, according to official data.

Fire department officials have reiterated the need for greater public awareness, improved electrical safety measures and timely inspections to reduce the risk of fire-related incidents in urban and semi-urban areas.