16 June,2026 08:20 AM IST | Mumbai | Sarthak Mehta
Firefighters battle the blaze on Sunday. PICS/SATEJ SHINDE
The fire in the Garib Nagar demolition debris dumped on marsh railway land was active again on Monday, after firefighters tackled a blaze at the spot on Sunday evening.
According to locals and Western Railway (WR) officials, firefighters have attended multiple emergency calls at the spot over the past week. However, the fire restarts every day, possibly due to heat trapped in the debris paired with wind, causing flammable materials in the debris, such as wood, plastic, and clothes to fume.
The fire continues to blaze in the Garib Nagar debris in Bandra East on Monday
Naveen Kale, officer-in-charge, Bandra fire station
We have taken appropriate measures to suppress the fire, and not just on the surface level. We used a JCB machine to uncover and expel the trapped heat in the lower portions of the debris. Not sure how the fire restarted. Investigation is underway.
Spokesperson, Western Railway
It is marshland which WR currently has no use for, so the debris was dumped there. It's a minor fire, and poses no immediate threat to railway property; we believe it is reigniting due to heat, wind, and remaining flecks. We don't suspect premeditation and we are monitoring the situation.'
Subhan Khan, 25, Garib Nagar resident
The fire has been on and off for around a week. Firefighters arrive in the evening, douse it, and the fire is again visible by morning. Fumes are constant, but they vary. Three days earlier, we had noticed the most fumes and smoke at the site.
Karan Saroj, 26, tea seller near Bandra station
I make five rounds in the area daily, selling tea on foot. It must be over six days now since I first noticed the fire. Initially, it was at a different spot nearby. That went down, and another spot started fuming.
Shakir Hussain, 32, Behram Nagar resident
I live in the vicinity of the spot. The smoke clouds had become unbearable around two days ago. This public toilet here was surrounded by the smoke.
