Srinagar– ‘Luxurious House for Sale!’ ‘Sapnon Ka Ghar!’ ‘The Wait Is Over—Your Dream Home Awaits!’ Every other reel on your Instagram feed is flooded with property ads. The sleek interiors and stunning aesthetics might keep you watching till the end—even tempting you to check the price. But how often do we stop to think about fire safety and the role of architecture in it.
According to the official data, nearly 600 fire incidents were reported in Srinagar in 2024, and in the same year Budgam district witnessed 276 incidents. In just January of this year, Kashmir saw 41 fire incidents, including 9 in Srinagar. These alarming figures highlight a critical issue—the growing fire load and the lack of proper fire safety measures in our homes.
Speaking to Kashmir Observer, Hakim Danish, an assistant professor at the Department of Architecture, Planning & Geomatics, Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) explained that Kashmir faces several critical fire safety issues that are often overlooked during construction and home design.
“One major concern is the lack of compliance with fire safety codes. Many buildings do not follow essential fire gap guidelines. Additionally, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) design is frequently neglected, even though it plays a crucial role in preventing fire hazards. Poor electrical planning, faulty service lines, and inadequate insulation often lead to short circuits, which are a common cause of fires,” Hakim said.
Another major issue, Hakim pointed out, is the widespread use of substandard electrical components. “Many a times, there is a compromise on the quality of wires, appliances, and circuit breakers, significantly increasing the likelihood of electrical fires. Kitchen design also plays a vital role in fire safety, yet it is often ignored. Improper placement of gas cylinders, lack of ventilation, and flammable materials near heat sources create a high-risk environment. While architects use the “golden triangle” formula to ensure safe kitchen layouts, many people prioritize aesthetics over safety.”
But the question remains, how vulnerable is traditional Kashmiri architecture considering that most of it is constructed from wood? By corollary, has modern architecture improved or worsened fire safety? It is true indeed that traditional Kashmiri architecture relies heavily on wood, particularly in structural elements, facades, and interiors. While our traditional architectural style has deep cultural and climatic significance, it also makes buildings highly susceptible to fire hazards.
“Vernacular architecture, particularly where wood is a primary structural and non-structural element, is inherently more susceptible to fire. The shift towards modern materials like concrete and steel has generally reduced fire vulnerability in both residential and commercial buildings.While a complete transition to concrete and steel isn’t necessary – wood possesses valuable properties, including seismic resistance beneficial in earthquake-prone regions – a stronger focus on fire safety compliance is crucial,” Syed Suhaib Naqshbandi, Architect at Progressive Design Group told Kashmir Observer.
Hakim elaborated that wood is naturally combustible. In older homes, the structural timber is often untreated, which in turn makes these buildings highly vulnerable to fires. Once ignited, fire spreads rapidly, often engulfing entire neighbourhoods, especially in densely packed urban areas like Srinagar’s downtown. “Many neighbourhoods in the old city have closely spaced wooden houses with shared walls and roofs allowing fire to spread quickly from one building to another. Narrow streets and limited access make firefighting efforts more challenging in these areas.”
The architect added that introduction of RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) structures has reduced the reliance on wood, making buildings structurally more fire-resistant. Fire-resistant materials like gypsum boards and fire-rated doors are now being used in some cases.
“But there are worsening factors as most of houses in Kashmir are constructed/designed without architectural consultation and often go unsupervised for fire safety which leads to poor adherence to fire codes in new buildings, with many modern structures lacking fire exits, sprinkler systems, and proper ventilation. Use of highly combustible synthetic materials like PVC panels, foam-based materials, and flammable wallpapers has introduced new fire hazards. Unlike solid wood, which burns slowly, these materials ignite quickly and release toxic fumes,” Hakim detailed.
Mitigation measures to reduce fire risks
The architects stressed that the approval process for plot layouts and street widths in developing colonies is often inadequate. The accessibility of fire tenders in these new areas is frequently overlooked.
“Statutory approval of colony layouts should be mandatory for all developers. Also, decentralizing fire response infrastructure is another critical need. The current emphasis on localized fire hydrants is insufficient; we rely too heavily on fire tenders for incident response. A more distributed approach to fire suppression is necessary,” Syed said.
He pointed out that fire audits in all public buildings are essential, and adherence to fire safety regulations should be mandatory. Critically, the process of issuing building completion certificates by municipalities must include a mandatory fire safety audit conducted by a qualified officer from the Fire and Emergency Department. “This officer should verify compliance with all fire safety norms and issue a safety certificate before the building is deemed operational. The current lack of a robust mechanism to ensure adherence to fire safety standards is a major deficiency that needs immediate attention.”
Experts also believe that there is also a pressing need for comprehensive academic research to systematically identify and map fire-vulnerable zones of Srinagar in particular based on real-time data and field surveys. Studying fire incidents, city layouts, building materials, and gaps in infrastructure can help us understand why fires keep happening. Using maps, risk assessments, and surveys, we can create better fire safety policies, improve building rules, and decide where to place fire stations, they noted.
Hakim added, the structures-built decades ago in Srinagar may follow outdated or no building rules and don’t meet modern safety standards. Unless they are renovated, they usually don’t get safety upgrades—except for hotels and guest houses. This raises an important question: “How can we encourage older buildings in Kashmir to adopt new safety measures without waiting for renovations or forcing changes?”
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