THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With summer fast approaching and temperatures already soaring in February, the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services is bracing up to deal with a surge in fire incidents across the state. The department is on high alert, anticipating an increase in fire-related emergencies.
The extreme heat and dry weather have already led to multiple fire incidents across the state this month. Last year the fire department responded to around 15,610 calls with the majority occurring during summer.
In the past weeks, the state has witnessed many major and minor fire incidents. One of the major fires was reported in Kulathupuzha last week which destroyed around 5 acres of oil palm plantation.
With fire-related calls increasing day by day, the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services have already launched comprehensive awareness campaigns across the state with the help of civil defence volunteers.
Director general of Fire Department K Padmakumar told TNIE that awareness among the public is key to prevent such accidents. He said that rising temperatures have increased fire risks significantly in the state.
“There is a surge in incidents already and we are well prepared. We have launched extensive awareness campaigns across the state to sensitise the public as the majority of fire incidents are happening in private properties. We urge the public to avoid open burning,” said Padmakumar.
He said that scarcity of water sources is a major challenge when fire incidents happen.
“During summer and dry weather, water sources dry up and the major challenge we face during this time is unavailability of water to douse fire. To tide over this we have mapped all possible water sources including ponds across the state with the help of district disaster management authorities,” he added.
The fire department has also equipped fire stations with mist fire tenders, foam fire tenders and other state-of-the-art equipment to address fire outbreaks.
“Every week we are checking the fitness of these equipment. If there is a water crisis we can always use mist or foam fire tenders,” added Padmakumar. Dumpsites and waste storage facilities are some of the hotspots in the state.
There are thousands of material collection facilities and resource recovery facilities managed by local bodies across the state. With fire threat looming large, the local self-government department has issued an order to conduct fire auditing at all waste management facilities across the state.
“We issued the order last week and fire auditing will be undertaken at all facilities and dumpsites. Last year we also did a fire audit and this year we are planning to do it early,” said U V Jose, executive director, Suchitwa Mission.
Total number of fire calls in 2024 – 15,610
Thiruvananthapuram – 1,551
Kollam – 1,538
Kottayam – 978
Alappuzha – 979
Pathanamthitta – 631
Ernakulam – 1,927
Idukki – 547
Thrissur – 1,574
Palakkad – 1,821
Malappuram – 902
Kozhikode – 1,012
Wayanad – 231
Kannur – 1,112
Kasaragod – 811
Safety Precautions
Keep your surroundings clean & burn dry leaves in small quantities
Avoid burning waste between 11.30am and 3pm
Do not burn waste near electric lines; Keep water as a safety measure while burning waste
Create firebreaks along property boundaries to prevent fire from spreading
Avoid carelessly discarding cigarette butts and matchsticks
Do not fill fuel tanks to full capacity during summer
Do not store multiple gas cylinders inside homes
Ensure that fire safety equipment (as per NBC guidelines) is installed and fully functional in high-rise buildings, shops, and homes