A clip that spread across WhatsApp and Instagram shows a red fire tender spraying water around the front steps of MLA Bachubhai Khabad's bungalow in Dhanpur taluka, Dahod district, on October 6, 2026.
Ghamesh Kalal, chairperson of Devgadh Baria Municipal Corporation, said he received a call from the MLA asking for a fire engine to be sent, and he immediately contacted the fire department, thinking something serious might have happened.
Fire officer Mayur Singh Chauhan told ANI that when the vehicle arrived, aides at the bungalow asked the crew to start washing the house, but he realized it was a hoax call and ordered the operation halted, collecting the Rs 2,700 cost.
The municipal corporation has now collected the fee from the MLA and is investigating the nature of the call, with officials saying they will review the chain of communication to prevent misuse of emergency services.
Officials expect to release findings by mid‑November, and the incident may prompt a review of protocol for dispatching fire engines to non‑emergency requests.