Why ACs are catching fire as India gets hotter
- Team TOI Plus
- TIMESOFINDIA.COMUpdated: Jun 05, 2026, 21:05 IST IST
A deadly fire at a south Delhi bed-and-breakfast has put the spotlight back on a danger that returns every summer: air-conditioner-related fires. Investigators are still examining what caused the June 3 blaze at Flourish Stay Bed & Breakfast in Hauz Rani, Malviya Nagar, where 21 people were killed. One line of inquiry is a commercial LPG cylinder in the basement kitchen. Another is a possible faulty AC in the ground-floor restaurant.
It would be premature to say an AC caused the Delhi fire. But the case has raised a larger question: as Indian cities get hotter and ACs run for longer hours, are homes, hotels, hospitals and small commercial buildings safe enough to handle that cooling load?
It would be premature to say an AC caused the Delhi fire. But the case has raised a larger question: as Indian cities get hotter and ACs run for longer hours, are homes, hotels, hospitals and small commercial buildings safe enough to handle that cooling load?
