Fire broke out for the first time in Gujarat Secretariat complex in Gandhinagar on Monday, and the fire department and other local officials rushed to the location. The incident occurred at Block No. 9 of the Secretariat and firemen rushed to the place after the fire was detected.
The incident at the state administrative complex was immediately noticed because the Secretariat houses several important government offices and departments. Block 9 is part of the New Sachivalaya complex in Gandhinagar and has offices related to government functions. The government records also indicate Block 9 to be a multi-storey government building.
The fire was reported to have been handled quickly by the fire department. Firefighters responded to the area to tackle the fire and investigate. Details of the specific area affected and the extent of damage will be pieced together after the fire has been extinguished.
The fire happened in the basement of the building. Fires in basement rooms can be particularly difficult for emergency teams because of the small access and smoke and the need to thoroughly inspect those locations. Fire and rescue workers have to act methodically and keep those people in the room around to the back of the building safe.
At the time of the initial reports, no casualties had been reported. But authorities continue to assess the situation and the final safety assessment will depend on the completion of rescue and firefighting operations.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. Electrical systems, equipment and other sources are to be looked at once the fire is out, officials said. A very thorough investigation, in particular how the fire started and whether some safety procedures need to be re-examined, would be required, and how to minimize any damage.
The Gujarat Secretariat is a central administrative centre and any fire incident there is a matter of immediate concern. Government buildings house offices, equipment and records, and emergency services must act quickly to prevent a localized fire from spreading to other parts of the complex.
The latest incident also emphasizes the need for fire safety preparedness of large government buildings. Gujarat’s fire-safety regulations mandate emergency access, ventilation, firefighting systems and other safety measures to buildings and basements.
A lot of the safety measures in place in the affected area need to be reviewed and all equipment has to be working properly. It’s a real matter of preventing similar incidents in the future.
Emergency response also emphasizes the importance of coordination between fire services, building authorities, security personnel and other government agencies. Gujarat’s disaster management system allows emergency response teams (fire, police, search-and-rescue and medical personnel) to intervene in large incidents which are very important.
As firefighting and rescue operations continue, officials will provide more information on the building’s condition, the cause of the fire and any damage to the building. The Secretariat complex employees and visitors might also be temporarily restricted depending on the safety assessment.
Gandhinagar, Gujarat: A fire broke out in the basement of Gandhinagar Secretariat Block No. 9 before office hours. Fire brigade teams deployed 20 personnel, brought the blaze under control, and continued cooling operations amid heavy smoke pic.twitter.com/iLHMPGbzCz
— IANS (@ians_india) August 10, 2026
At this point in time, the fire is still fully contained and everybody in and around the building is safe. The lack of casualties in the initial information is a good thing, but there will be a need to check, and to see if the situation is resolved before it can be considered fully resolved.
It’s yet another reminder that fire-prevention systems and emergency response are needed in major public buildings. “We’ll do a thorough investigation after the fire is done and determine which systems should be put in place and which are not.”
Some more updates will come as officials complete their inspection and release more information about the Gandhinagar Secretariat fire.
