New Delhi: A massive fire gutted over 300 vehicles at the Delhi Police’s malkhana in north Delhi’s Wazirabad on Sunday. The Wazirabad impound yard, located at the Delhi Police Training School, witnessed multiple fires last year, damaging hundreds of vehicles. In Jan, a massive blaze gutted at least 450 vehicles. Another fire in May destroyed over 300 vehicles. In Aug, two separate fires broke out within a span of a week, damaging at least 125 vehicles in the first incident and gutting around 150 in the second.
Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received a call regarding the incident at 4.32am. “Seven fire tenders were dispatched to the scene, with about 50 firemen present at the spot to douse the fire,” a DFS official said, adding, “A total of 345 vehicles were destroyed, out of which 260 were two-wheelers—including motorcycles, scooters, and more—and 85 were four-wheelers, including cars, tempos, pickup vehicles, and others. All of these had been seized by the Delhi Police.”
Delhi Police pit in Wazirabad houses various police districts’ malkhana divisions. The fire broke out in the south District’s malkhana.
“We faced major challenges while dousing the fire, since the malkhana is located deep inside. We could see a huge flame and had to follow it to find the source. The roads were narrow and muddy, which made it harder for the fire tenders to reach the site. We had to refill our tanks multiple times, and navigating the rough path each time, adding to the delay,” said station officer Manoj Tyagi.
The fire spread rapidly within minutes due to the presence of highly flammable substances. “It includes parts of vehicles such as petrol tanks, diesel tanks and CNG cylinders. While these vehicles are barely functional, some of them contain residual fuel which exacerbates the fire. There’s also plastic sheets and foam sheets inside the vehicles that fuel the blaze,” he said.
“Not just the vehicles themselves, but the surroundings contribute to the blaze—small trees, bushes, and piles of dry leaves make the fire spread rapidly,” he added.
A police officer in charge of monitoring the malkhana explained the cause of the recurring fires in this specific pit. “Around 10–11pm, I saw a few men entering the pit. Usually, miscreants come to steal scrap items to sell later. Mostly, we are able to catch them. But when they fail to steal vehicle parts, they often set the vehicles on fire.”
When TOI visited the pit, it found one entry gate and fencing around the perimeter. However, the police officer noted, “There’s not just one entry to this pit. Miscreants usually enter from the backside, which is a jungle area, or through the open ground at the rear of the pit where people come to play cricket and football.”
An FIR has been registered under Section 326(f) (Mischief by fire, inundation, explosive substance, etc.) of the BNS and further investigation is underway.
Fire incidents in Delhi Police’s malkhana and impound pits are rising, driven by the growing number of abandoned vehicles. Under outdated laws like the Evidence Act, vehicles linked to criminal cases are held as “case property” for years until trials conclude. With slow legal processes and minimal superdari returns, most remain unclaimed by owners or insurers. At one point, Delhi Police had around 31,000 seized vehicles worth over Rs 100 crore, data from a few years ago revealed.
Just three days ago, over 50 seized vehicles were gutted in a fire at a malkhana in south Delhi’s Nehru Place.
