Rescue 1122 responds to 28,495 fire emergencies in 2025Firefighting efforts avert losses worth over Rs69 billion across Punjab

By Muhammad Shahzad
Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE: Punjab Emergency Services (Rescue 1122) responded to 28,495 fire emergencies across the province in 2025, successfully averting an estimated Rs69 billion in losses through professional firefighting operations, Secretary Emergency Services Dr. Rizwan Naseer said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the annual operational review meeting on fire emergencies, Dr. Naseer said fire incidents rose by 3.34 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, a significantly lower increase than the 35 percent surge recorded in 2024 over the previous year. He stressed that strict compliance with the Punjab Community Safety Building Regulations 2022 is essential, particularly for high-rise buildings, to ensure public safety.
The meeting was attended by heads of various wings of the Emergency Services Department, while District Emergency Officers (DEOs) joined via video link. All DEOs presented district-wise operational performance for 2025, highlighting major incidents, challenges, case studies, lessons learned, and safety initiatives.
Presenting the annual fire emergencies report, the Head of Operations said 99 people lost their lives and 1,081 sustained injuries in fire-related incidents during the year. The data showed that the most common causes of fires included short circuits (10,018 incidents), negligence and carelessness (5,755), gas leakages (1,355), candle burning (1,315), and kitchen fires (340). Additionally, 38 incidents were linked to LPG cylinder explosions, 476 forest fires were reported, 1,472 incidents had unknown causes, while 7,726 fires occurred due to various other reasons.
District-wise data revealed that the highest number of fire incidents were reported in major urban centres, with 5,079 cases in Lahore, 2,079 in Faisalabad, 1,689 in Rawalpindi, and 1,305 in Multan. The lowest number of incidents were recorded in Murree (255) and Layyah (266).
Following the review, Dr. Naseer said most domestic fire incidents caused by negligence could be prevented through basic vigilance, particularly while using gas heaters, kitchen stoves, candles, and household electrical appliances. He urged owners of industrial and commercial buildings to implement mandatory safety measures, install fire hydrants, and establish Emergency Response Teams (ERTs) in line with the 2022 safety regulations.
He reiterated Rescue 1122’s commitment to training ERTs, monitoring safety drills, and providing technical guidance to building managements to enhance safety standards. Dr. Naseer also paid tribute to Rescue 1122 firefighters for risking their lives to protect citizens and safeguard property across Punjab.