STORY: :: Delhi, India

A team of firefighters race down the streets of Delhi on this sweltering day in June.

They are responding to a major blaze at a worn-down building that houses textile shops in the old quarter of the Indian capital.

:: June 13, 2024

It took some 250 firefighters to douse the flames.

Summer is a particularly busy time for the Delhi Fire Services.

But firefighter Indervir Singh can't recall responding to as many fires as this year.

:: Indervir Singh, Delhi Fire Services firefighter

"In my 32-year-long career, this has been the hottest year and Delhi Fire Services have gotten the most fire calls this year. We get at least 200-250 calls daily."

Temperatures in Delhi have hit record highs this year, with the mercury hitting nearly 120 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) on several occasions.

Scientists say the heat is being worsened by human-driven climate change.

Fire services data show there were more than 9,000 fire calls between April and June.

That's more than double from a year ago.

And deaths more than tripled in that period, from 10 a year ago.

Reuters spoke to more than a dozen firefighters and officers.

Many describe working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and surging fires.

Their shifts are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest.

Director of Delhi Fire Services Atul Garg says his men are stretched thin.

:: Atul Garg, Delhi Fire Services Director

"They are not able to sleep, they are not able to take rest, because our job is a physical job. This cannot be done by a robot or something. Man has to go inside and inhale the smoke and the heat and then you know, you get tired out. So the fire department is really stretched at this time."

Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer.

As Delhi sweats through one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged.

Round-the-clock use of power-intensive appliances like air conditioning puts severe strain on the city's old wiring.

Fire officers say improper maintenance of cables and equipment can also lead to short circuits and start fires.

Assistant Divisional Officer of Delhi Fire Services Somvir Singh.

:: Somvir Singh, Assistant Divisional Officer, Delhi Fire Services

"More than 70% of causes of fire are electrical origins only and in the electrical origins, we can say overloading, two is short-circuiting and third one is the overheating."

The fire service has proposed making it mandatory for commercial buildings to submit an annual fire audit.

Officers say that will ensure businesses check if the wiring in their premises can cope with the higher loads.

350 aspiring firefighters are undergoing training and will bolster all-male force by August.

The service is also obtaining smaller vehicles to weave through congested roads, and buying technology for hard-to-access areas.