Fire Erupts at ISRO Ahmedabad Campus; Swift Response Averts Major Damage

Ahmedabad: A fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at the IT server building inside the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) campus in Ahmedabad, sparking concern over possible data loss and equipment damage. Firefighters acted swiftly to contain the blaze before it could spread to adjoining facilities.

Officials said the fire started on the upper floor of the building situated near the outer gate of the ISRO premises. Within minutes, four fire tenders were dispatched to the site. The flames were brought under control in a short span of time, and all employees were safely evacuated as a precautionary measure. No injuries or casualties were reported.

Preliminary findings indicate that an electrical short circuit could have triggered the fire, though a detailed investigation is underway. The incident caused significant damage to the IT infrastructure, with several servers and electronic systems destroyed. Authorities are currently assessing the extent of the damage, as some of the affected servers reportedly contained crucial operational data.

In response to the incident, ISRO has ordered an internal inquiry to determine both the cause of the fire and the magnitude of the losses. Officials have assured that contingency measures are being taken to recover and secure critical data.

This is not the first time ISRO’s Ahmedabad campus has faced such an event. In 2018, a fire broke out at the Space Applications Centre (SAC), resulting in damage to specialized antenna-testing equipment. That blaze, also suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, had raised similar concerns about the safety of high-value research infrastructure.

Established in 1972 under the vision of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, SAC has grown into one of ISRO’s premier facilities, playing a central role in the development of satellite payloads for communication, meteorology, remote sensing, and space science. The centre’s contributions have been integral to India’s space achievements — from the INSAT and IRS satellite series to advancements in navigation and planetary missions.

Thursday’s fire incident has once again underscored the need for enhanced fire safety measures in India’s key research and technology institutions, especially those handling sensitive and mission-critical data.