ALBAWABA- A massive grass fire erupted on Monday evening, at the disused Rajkot airport in western India’s Gujarat state, sending flames towering into the night sky and sparking panic among nearby residents.
The blaze swept through dry grassland and abandoned structures at the now-decommissioned site, prompting a rapid response from the Rajkot Municipal Corporation, which deployed four fire engines to contain the flames.
No casualties or major injuries were reported. Authorities said the cause of the fire remains under investigation but suspect dry vegetation or accidental ignition amid persistently hot, arid conditions.
VIDEO | Gujarat: Massive fire breaks out at old Rajkot Airport. More details awaited.
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/QVjo5cJaTD— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 20, 2025
Fire crews worked through the night to prevent the flames from spreading toward nearby residential areas, underscoring the region’s vulnerability to wildfires during India’s extended dry spell.
The Rajkot incident adds to a troubling surge in fire-related disasters across India in 2025, a year marked by a series of deadly industrial and urban blazes.
In April, a fireworks explosion in Gujarat’s Deesa suburb killed 21 people, while a pharmaceutical factory fire in southern India in July claimed at least 39 workers. More recently, a bus inferno in Rajasthan on October 14 left 19 dead, and a blaze in a Mumbai chawl days later killed one person and injured three.
