BENGALURU: With the early onset of summer, the fire and emergency service has already started receiving over 25 fire calls a day. Fire officials said that they are well equipped to fight any emergency and have made additional arrangements to prevent incidents that normally occur during summer. Sunil Agarwal, ADGP, Fire and Emergency, said, “Our deputy director for fire prevention recently visited places across the state, including Mysuru, Bandipur, Nagarahole and other areas, that have a thick forest cover. We have given instructions to the forest staff to prevent forest fires and we have also taken additional precautionary measures.”
He said, “We have directed building owners to always stock sufficient water. Also, our stations get water from water suppliers in and around the city.”K Shivakumar, Director, Fire and Emergency Department, said that grassy patches and wastage dumps are the usual suspects where frequent fire accidents occur. People staying close to such places and smokers are directly responsible for such fires, he said.
“In some areas, local residents set fire to garbage and it spreads to neighbouring buildings, causing major fire accidents. We have instructed BBMP officials to clear garbage regularly and to prevent smokers from going to forested areas as cigarette butts thrown by them cause fires. We often receive fire calls from the Bengaluru University campus and other areas that have wooded stretches.”
A fire department employee said, “During summer, we receive more than 50 calls of vehicles, electrical switchboards, kitchens in restaurants and transformers catching fire. Apart from these, we also get calls of people venturing out to lakes and quarries to swim and then drowning.”
C Basavanna, deputy director for fire prevention, said, “We have created awareness among forest officials and local residents to prevent forest fires, especially around Bandipur, Nagarahole and Gundlupet, where some local residents too work as fire watchers. We have installed fire-detection alarms and deployed extra fire tenders in those areas to act quickly. Forest officials will keep an eye on those passing through these areas and not allow them to stop vehicles in the middle of forests to prevent fire accidents.”Local fire station employees have been told to keep an eye on quarry pits and lakes where youth go to swim and drown during summer. BBMP officials have been asked to fence such places to prevent easy access to water bodies, he said.
How to prevent fires
Stop stocking dry garbage around vacant lands
Don’t allow grass to grow in open areas
Don’t throw cigarette butts or beedis negligently near garbage piles
Keep inflammable material in open areas or on the terrace