Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 26: Eight hundred fire incidents were reported across Kashmir so far this year, officials said today.
Assistant Director, Fire & Emergency Services, Mir Aqib Hussain, while speaking to ‘Excelsior’, said that out of 800, 180 such incidents have been reported in Srinagar district alone.
“Last year, the total number of fire incidents was 2500 across Kashmir, of which 540 were from Srinagar district,” he said.
While speaking about the action taken by the F&ES, he said that when people are complaining of delayed response to emergencies, there are a number of reasons for it.
“If it is during the day, there is the usual traffic; however, the traffic police help us. At night, we encounter wrong parking, construction material dumped on the road, hampering movement by creating hurdles, all leading to delays,” he said.
He said that they operate as per the rules and regulations, ensuring that the men and machinery are out on the road in just one minute after receiving the distress call.
“To increase efficiency, people should transmit information swiftly and ensure it is accurate.”
He noted that due to the cooperation of people, the department can ensure a swift response and will be able to save more lives and property.
“During fire incidents, it would be beneficial if people would show us the shorter routes, water sources, spots of water hydrants, instead of blocking our efforts and taking matters into their hands.”
Informing about the reasons leading to fire incidents, the Assistant Director said that 90 percent of blaze incidents have an electric short circuit as the cause.
“In the winter season, due to overloading, and when there are no precautions taken, fire incidents break out leading to damage. There is a need to follow the proper dos and don’ts.”
Talking specifically about old city Srinagar, he termed it “vulnerable” in terms of fire safety while noting the overall change in behavior in the people of the old city when it comes to allowing firefighters to do their job in case of emergency.
“Downtown is vulnerable. There are various factors that make it a high-risk zone. There are old houses, largely built of wood, and little negligence leads to fire, which then spreads swiftly,” he said.
He noted that in the old city, the house density is high with no fire gap, making the situation aggravate further in case of a fire incident. “Moreover, fire tenders are not able to move seamlessly due to the congested area.”
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