Fires in the national capital simply refuse to slow down, and when investigators dig into the causes, two culprits keep surfacing — ones most people dismiss as harmless: the air-conditioner compressor and the household electricity meter. These days, even cramped homes have two or three air conditioners installed, with all their compressors crammed into a single spot. On top of that, electricity meters are often fixed inside the house, right beside the staircase near the entry gate. It is exactly these habits that frequently turn lethal. To understand the danger and how to avoid it, TrendKia spoke with Atul Garg, the former director of the Delhi Fire Service.
The Electricity Meter: A Common Spark for Fires
What surprises many is how quickly fire takes hold in a home's electricity meter and AC compressor — and how often a short circuit begins right there, with people paying for it with their lives. According to Atul Garg, the Delhi Fire Service introduced a rule precisely because of this risk: every electricity meter should be installed outside the home, not inside. That is why some older houses still have meters indoors, while most newer homes now keep them outside — because the electricity meter is one of the biggest causes of fire.
Why Meters and Charging Points Near Stairs Are So Dangerous
The former director shared a startling detail: most of Delhi's fire tragedies turned fatal because residents had their electricity meters and electric-car charging points at the very same spot. In these cases, while a vehicle was charging, a short circuit occurred in its battery; the fire then spread to the car's seat, engulfed the entire vehicle, and quickly caught the electricity meter too.
People did try to escape, but because their staircase was right next to that electric charging point and meter, they could not get out and died of suffocation on the stairs. Those who ran towards the roof survived. This is why the Delhi Fire Service has continuously worked to spread awareness. The department also brought in a rule that electricity meters and electric-car charging points must never be placed near a home's staircase — they should be kept in a separate location, so that in case of a fire, people can escape safely via the stairs.
Keep the AC Compressor Out of Direct Sunlight
Atul Garg also gave important advice about the AC compressor. He says it should never be placed in direct sunlight. Always install it in an open area — a balcony is fine, as long as direct sunlight does not fall on it. If you are mounting it on the roof, the same caution applies.
The reason is that an AC compressor already pushes out hot air, and when direct sunlight hits it, all of its wiring heats up as well, making a short circuit more likely and sharply raising the chances of a fire. That is why multiple compressors should always be installed at separate spots, kept away from direct sunlight, and inspected from time to time.
