17 August,2026 08:21 AM IST | Mumbai | Eeshanpriya MS
Ravindra Ambulgekar, chief fire officer, Mumbai Fire Brigade. FILE PIC/RITIKA GONDHALEKAR
[popcorn number="Aug 11" desc="Day fire broke out in Vile Parle building" class="Default"]
The Mumbai Fire Brigade found that the Shanta Bhuvan building in Vile Parle - where a fire on the topmost floor of a ground-plus-11-storey building on the night of August 11, killing two, including a two-and-a-half-year-old boy - was not compliant with fire safety protocols.
In an interview with mid-day, Ravindra Ambulgekar, chief fire officer of the Mumbai Fire Brigade, spoke about why housing societies and other premises must ensure they are fire-ready and the challenges faced by the fire brigade while ensuring premises comply with these rules.
Excerpts from the interview.
Why must housing societies file fire-compliance reports every six months? Can the fire brigade take up this task on their behalf?
The mandatory half-yearly fire safety compliance certificate is required under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006. Building owners or occupiers must hire a state-certified licensed agency to inspect their firefighting equipment and submit the certificate in January and July to local fire authorities. This helps certify that fire alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers, and hydrants. In the event of a fire, these help mitigate loss of life and loss of property.
The fire brigade has formed a special squad to do random checks on housing societies. Are these inspections still happening?
The MFB continues random inspections of properties. But it is practically impossible for the fire brigade to check every single building every six months. Hence, occupants have to take the onus to ensure fire compliance, as it is the responsibility of every housing society to ensure their premises are fire-compliant. Besides, there is no separate inspection squad within the fire brigade. Officials who carry out fire-fighting duties carry out inspections, processing of documents, and subsequent documentation. Effectively, we would have less than 40 personnel available to carry out random inspections. How is this feasible?
Is there a penalty imposed by the fire brigade for non-compliance?
Under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, non-compliance with fire safety rules carries rigorous imprisonment from six months up to three years and fines ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000, plus a continuing daily fine of up to Rs 3,000 for ongoing violations. For housing societies, penalties range from disconnection of electricity and water supply to notices to vacate premises.
