225 blazes in 20 days; firemen blame heat
225 blazes in 20 days; firemen blame heat
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In 20 days, there have been 225 fire calls in the city. An overburdened fire department has had it particularly bad this March as incidents of fire in the city have grown by over 100 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year. And guess what is to blameu00a0-- the rising mercury.
Soaring temperatures have wreaked havoc in the city as incidents of fires triggered by the heat in garbage dumps and gas leakages and short circuits because of heavy use of air-conditioners are reported in large numbers daily.
Fire brigade chief Prashant Ranpise said there were barely 100 incidents of fire in March last year, compared to the 225 so far this month.
"More fires are being reported as temperatures are unusually high this year and fires get sparked off in this heat. We expect incidents of fire to be high till the first week of April if there is no pre-monsoon rain," he said.
Fire expert Swapnil Raut agreed there was a correlation between summer heat and fires. "In summer, electrical wiring is susceptible to short circuits. Garbage dumps dry up and become inflammable, leading to more fires when there are unusually high temperatures," said Raut.
Ranpise said electric appliances like fans or air conditioners should not be used for 24 hours at a stretch.
"Segregating wet and dry waste also helps prevent fires as inflammable articles are separated," said Sanjay Gawde, a civic garbage disposal cell officer.
Six fires this month were major ones. These included fires due to gas leakages in Mundhwa and Kothrud, and short circuits in Bhosari, Nana Peth and Bhawani Peth.
(With inputs from Chandran Iyer)
