New Delhi: A major fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday at the Delhi Police’s impound yard in Wazirabad, gutting over 300 vehicles, including both two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The blaze, which erupted in the south district’s malkhana within the premises of the Delhi Police Training School, is the latest in a series of similar incidents at the site.

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received a distress call at 4:32 AM, and promptly dispatched seven fire tenders and nearly 50 firefighters to the scene. Despite their swift response, the fire had already spread across the yard, fueled by flammable materials like petrol, diesel, and CNG residue in the impounded vehicles.

“A total of 345 vehicles were destroyed — 260 two-wheelers and 85 four-wheelers, all of which had been seized in various criminal cases,” a DFS official said.

Station Officer Manoj Tyagi explained that the fire was challenging to control due to the location of the malkhana — deep inside the impound yard, accessible only through narrow, muddy lanes. Firefighters had to refill their tanks multiple times, slowing down the operation further.

“We had to follow the flames to reach the exact location. The dense overgrowth, dry leaves, and plastic and foam parts inside the vehicles accelerated the fire,” Tyagi added.

This is not the first such incident at Wazirabad. The yard has seen a spike in fires over the past year, including:

Police suspect arson by scrap thieves is behind many of these fires. A police officer monitoring the yard said:

“Around 10-11 PM, we often spot miscreants sneaking in to steal scrap parts. When they fail, some set vehicles ablaze. Most enter from the back — through a jungle patch or an open field used by locals for sports.”

While the yard is fenced and has a single main entry gate, unauthorized access remains a persistent issue.

An FIR has been registered under Section 326(f) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for mischief by fire, and investigations are underway.

The rising number of such fires highlights systemic issues. Thousands of abandoned or seized vehicles are stored for years due to slow-moving court trials under outdated provisions of the Indian Evidence Act. With minimal superdari (custody) returns, these vehicles often remain unclaimed, adding to the growing risk.

As per earlier estimates, Delhi Police once held over 31,000 seized vehicles worth more than ₹100 crore. Just three days ago, another fire gutted 50 vehicles at a malkhana in Nehru Place, further raising concerns about security and storage practices.