KOCHI: It took over seven hours for the Fire and Rescue Services personnel to douse the fire that broke out at a spices oil extraction company at Kinfra Park, Kalamassery, on Wednesday. Things weren’t easy for over 150 firefighters who toiled continuously for hours to put out the fire that gutted Green Leaf Extractions Private Ltd and prevent it from spreading to two other adjacent companies in the park.
About 40 fire personnel were shifted to Government Medical College, Kalamassery, for medical support after they suffered minor secondary burns from the heat generated following the raging fire and also uneasiness after inhaling the chemical-infused smoke.
While the exact cause of the fire is still unknown, officials suspect a short-circuit in a lab in the company might have caused the fire. The fire was first spotted around 6am by three staff of the company who were on duty. A huge loss has been estimated in the fire that destroyed a machinery plant, equipment and furniture in a three-storey building, apart from a product stock of five tonnes.
“Though the staff tried to douse the flame, they couldn’t succeed. They called for help. We reached the spot by 6.30am and 34 fire tenders from Thrissur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha were pressed into service. The oil extract stock at the plant was highly inflammable and it aggravated the fire. We could only use foam to douse the flame,” said Fire and Rescue Services district officer Jogy J S.
“An investigation will be conducted to find out the reason for the fire and a report will be submitted to the administration,” he said. A lorry and a car parked on the premises of the company were also gutted. Jogy said the smoke was heavy and thick, making the operation tough for the fire personnel.
“Some chemical barrels stocked inside the plant exploded in the fire and the heat was intensive. It wasn’t possible to enter the plant. Many firefighters suffered minor burns from the intense heat, and breathlessness due to the pungent smell of the oils that caught fire,” he said.
Hospital authorities said the condition of those injured was not serious and they would be discharged on Thursday. Deepu V Nair, one of the directors of the company, said they need to assess the loss. “Fortunately, no one has been severely injured. We are yet to ascertain the reason for the fire,” he added.
Kinfra Park needs in-house firefighting unit
Wednesday’s blaze at the oil extraction unit is the second instance of fire mishap at Kinfra Park in the past four years. Fire and Rescue Services officials believe it’s high time a state-ofthe- art firefighting unit to deal with fire emergencies was set up in the park.
In September 2017, a paint manufacturing unit in the park was gutted though there were no casualties. Officials said there has been a steady increase in the number of industries handling highly inflammable materials at the park and it should have a strong firefighting mechanism compared to a normal water sprinkling system which we see in theatres, shopping complexes and buildings.
“Industrial parks require large firefighting systems with a steady supply of water round the clock. There should be fire hydrants at specified spots,” said district fire officer Jogy J S. Industries department officials said they would take up the issue with higher-ups as many companies that handle inflammable chemicals used for paint are functioning in the park.