Firefighters Vinod Kumar (L), 54, and Anuj Baliyan, 34, clean their trucks inside the fire service headquarters in New Delhi, India, May 29, 2024. Over a dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A firefighter drinks water as smoke rises from burning vehicles at a car scrapyard in New Delhi, India, May 30, 2024. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classified nine heat wave days in Delhi this June, up sharply from the historic norm of one during the month. Scientists say the heat is being worsened by human-driven climate change. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Rajesh Kumar Shukla, a firefighter, inspects the site of an eye hospital after firefighters controlled a fire there, in New Delhi, India, June 5, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A couple walks through an alley under overhead power cables in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 19, 2024. Temperatures in the Indian capital, home to around 20 million people, have hit record highs this year, with the mercury hitting nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on several occasions. Calls reporting fires between April and June more than doubled from a year ago to over 9,000, fire services data show. And deaths from fires more than tripled in that period, from just 10 a year ago. Many of the blazes are in Delhi's teeming old quarters, where the narrow lanes are chock-a-block with shops and homes, with webs of electricity cables and other wires hanging from poles. REUTERS/Adan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire as smoke billows from burning garbage at the Ghazipur landfill site in New Delhi, India, April 22, 2024. Over a dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire in some textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Temperatures in the Indian capital, home to around 20 million people, have hit record highs this year, with the mercury hitting nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on several occasions. Calls reporting fires between April and June more than doubled from a year ago to over 9,000, fire services data show. And deaths from fires more than tripled in that period, from just 10 a year ago. Many of the blazes are in Delhi's teeming old quarters, where the narrow lanes are chock-a-block with shops and homes, with webs of electricity cables and other wires hanging from poles. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A family looks through their window next to some burning textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire in some textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

An excavator tries to contain the fire as smoke rises from burning garbage following a fire at Ghazipur landfill site in New Delhi, India, April 22, 2024. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classified nine heat wave days in Delhi this June, up sharply from the historic norm of one during the month. Scientists say the heat is being worsened by human-driven climate change. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Shanti, 35, cries as she stands next to her burnt house after a fire broke out in a slum area in New Delhi, India, June 19, 2024. "I have lost everything," said Shanti, a vegetables seller, who gave only one name. "We were happy in this small house but ... will have to start a new life once again." REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Surender Kumar, 58, a firefighter, walks towards a fire truck as he comes out of some burning textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Temperatures in the Indian capital, home to around 20 million people, have hit record highs this year, with the mercury hitting nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on several occasions. Calls reporting fires between April and June more than doubled from a year ago to over 9,000, fire services data show. And deaths from fires more than tripled in that period, from just 10 a year ago. Many of the blazes are in Delhi's teeming old quarters, where the narrow lanes are chock-a-block with shops and homes, with webs of electricity cables and other wires hanging from poles. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighter Rajesh Dabhas, 43, pulls a water pipe as he tries to extinguish a fire in some textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Summer is a particularly busy time for Delhi Fire Services. The searing heat and lack of moisture in the air speed up the combustibility of materials, said IMD scientist Soma Sen Roy. "It's not some light work. It's like risking death," said firefighter Rajesh Dabhas. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A firefighter stands inside a burnt-out eye hospital after firefighters controlled the fire, in New Delhi, India, June 5, 2024. Temperatures in the Indian capital, home to around 20 million people, have hit record highs this year, with the mercury hitting nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on several occasions. Calls reporting fires between April and June more than doubled from a year ago to over 9,000, fire services data show. And deaths from fires more than tripled in that period, from just 10 a year ago. Many of the blazes are in Delhi's teeming old quarters, where the narrow lanes are chock-a-block with shops and homes, with webs of electricity cables and other wires hanging from poles. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A firefighter reacts to smoke caused by a fire in a factory at an industrial area in New Delhi, India, June 16, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Shanti, 35, shows the burnt remains of her savings of 40,000 Indian rupees, which she kept in a plastic bag in her house, after a fire at a slum area in New Delhi, India, June 19, 2024. "I have lost everything," said Shanti, a vegetables seller, who gave only one name. "We were happy in this small house but ... will have to start a new life once again." REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Women console Shanti, 35, after her house was destroyed in a fire in a slum area in New Delhi, India, June 19, 2024. "I have lost everything," said Shanti, a vegetables seller, who gave only one name. "We were happy in this small house but ... will have to start a new life once again." REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

People stand on their rooftops as firefighters try to extinguish a fire in some textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Temperatures in the Indian capital, home to around 20 million people, have hit record highs this year, with the mercury hitting nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on several occasions. Calls reporting fires between April and June more than doubled from a year ago to over 9,000, fire services data show. And deaths from fires more than tripled in that period, from just 10 a year ago. Many of the blazes are in Delhi's teeming old quarters, where the narrow lanes are chock-a-block with shops and homes, with webs of electricity cables and other wires hanging from poles. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A firefighter stands on a fire truck outside some burning textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Temperatures in the Indian capital, home to around 20 million people, have hit record highs this year, with the mercury hitting nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on several occasions. Calls reporting fires between April and June more than doubled from a year ago to over 9,000, fire services data show. And deaths from fires more than tripled in that period, from just 10 a year ago. Many of the blazes are in Delhi's teeming old quarters, where the narrow lanes are chock-a-block with shops and homes, with webs of electricity cables and other wires hanging from poles. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Praveen Kumar, 38, a firefighter, eats his lunch after coming back from a fire that broke out at a car scrapyard in New Delhi, India May 30, 2024. Over a dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Burnt debris is scattered at what was once some textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 18, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

An exhausted firefighter sits next to a fire truck during an ongoing fire in some textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Over a dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Rajesh Dabhas, 43, a firefighter, pours water on his head to cool himself down after coming out of a burning eye hospital in New Delhi, India, June 5, 2024. A dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

People walk in a market under tangled power cables in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 18, 2024. Temperatures in the Indian capital, home to around 20 million people, have hit record highs this year, with the mercury hitting nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on several occasions. Calls reporting fires between April and June more than doubled from a year ago to over 9,000, fire services data show. And deaths from fires more than tripled in that period, from just 10 a year ago. Many of the blazes are in Delhi's teeming old quarters, where the narrow lanes are chock-a-block with shops and homes, with webs of electricity cables and other wires hanging from poles. REUTERS/Adan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A boy carries charred utensils after a fire broke out at a slum area in New Delhi, India, June 19, 2024. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classified nine heat wave days in Delhi this June, up sharply from the historic norm of one during the month. Scientists say the heat is being worsened by human-driven climate change. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A firefighter stands in a crowd as they watch an ongoing fire in some textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Many of the blazes are in Delhi's teeming old quarters, where the narrow lanes are chock-a-block with shops and homes, with webs of electricity cables and other wires hanging from poles. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighters rest inside their barracks at the fire service headquarters in New Delhi, India, May 28, 2024. Over a dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Fire officials answer calls at the control centre in the fire service headquarters in New Delhi, India, May 28, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighters offer evening prayers, including passing round an aarti lamp, at a Hindu temple inside the fire service headquarters in New Delhi, India, May 28, 2024. Over a dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighter Sachin Dhaka, 36, sits inside a fire truck on the way to a fire at a car scrapyard in New Delhi, India, May 30, 2024. Over a dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

People stand on their rooftops next to some burning textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Burnt school books are pictured inside a house after a fire broke out in a slum area in New Delhi, India, June 19, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Indervir Singh, 54, a firefighter, drinks water as he sits inside a fire truck after an operation to control a fire that broke out at a car scrapyard in New Delhi, India May 30, 2024. Singh has worked for the Delhi Fire Services for 32 years but he can't recall responding to as many fires as this summer. Calls reporting fires between April and June more than doubled from a year ago to over 9,000, fire services data show. And deaths from fires more than tripled in that period, from just 10 a year ago. "I have attended to several back-to-back calls" on recent shifts, said the grey-haired Singh before he rushed to the scene of yet another blaze in his thick jacket, heavy boots and red helmet. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighter Sijender Kumar, 54, pulls a water pipe as he and others try to extinguish a fire that broke out at a car scrapyard in New Delhi, India May 30, 2024. Over a dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Shanti (L) 35, and her sister Premvati, 32, cry as they stand inside their burnt house after a fire broke out in a slum area in New Delhi, India, June 19, 2024. "I have lost everything," said Shanti, a vegetables seller, who gave only one name. "We were happy in this small house but ... will have to start a new life once again." REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighters offer evening prayers at a Hindu temple inside the fire service headquarters in New Delhi, India, May 28, 2024. Over a dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire in some textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighters help a colleague put on an oxygen mask before extinguishing a fire in a factory at an industrial area in New Delhi, India, June 16, 2024. Over a dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A view from inside a fire truck, which got stuck in the traffic during an ongoing fire in some textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classified nine heat wave days in Delhi this June, up sharply from the historic norm of one during the month. Scientists say the heat is being worsened by human-driven climate change. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A firefighter drives a water tender towards a fire at a car scrapyard in New Delhi, India, May 30, 2024. A dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire that broke out at a car scrapyard in New Delhi, India May 30, 2024. Over a dozen firefighters and officers in Delhi were interviewed by Reuters, many of whom described working in "doubly" strenuous conditions of extreme heat and numerous fires. Shifts for firefighters are 24 hours long, followed by a day of rest. Senior officers work three full-day shifts at a time and then take a day off. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

People stand on their rooftops next to some burning textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A man sleeps in his rickshaw during a heatwave on a hot summer day in New Delhi, India, June 18, 2024. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classified nine heat wave days in Delhi this June, up sharply from the historic norm of one during the month. Scientists say the heat is being worsened by human-driven climate change. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighters try to join hoses so they can reach a rooftop during an ongoing fire in some textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

People stand on their rooftops next to some burning textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire in some textile shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 13, 2024. Fire officers say electrical failures are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the blazes this summer. With Delhi sweating through what the federal weather office says is one of its longest heat waves on record, demand for air cooling has surged. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Firefighter Indervir Singh, 54, smokes a hookah after coming back from a fire that broke out at a car scrapyard, at the fire service headquarters in New Delhi, India May 30, 2024. Singh has worked for the Delhi Fire Services for 32 years but he can't recall responding to as many fires as this summer. Calls reporting fires between April and June more than doubled from a year ago to over 9,000, fire services data show. And deaths from fires more than tripled in that period, from just 10 a year ago. "I have attended to several back-to-back calls" on recent shifts, said the grey-haired Singh before he rushed to the scene of yet another blaze in his thick jacket, heavy boots and red helmet. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A man hangs clothes out to dry on electric cables outside shops at a market area in the old quarters of Delhi, India, June 18, 2024. Temperatures in the Indian capital, home to around 20 million people, have hit record highs this year, with the mercury hitting nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on several occasions. Calls reporting fires between April and June more than doubled from a year ago to over 9,000, fire services data show. And deaths from fires more than tripled in that period, from just 10 a year ago. Many of the blazes are in Delhi's teeming old quarters, where the narrow lanes are chock-a-block with shops and homes, with webs of electricity cables and other wires hanging from poles. REUTERS/Adan Abidi SEARCH "ABIDI INDIA FIRES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.