Lahore: Fire incidents up by 67 percent in 2008

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Rescue officials say only 1,078 fires reported of total 1,550
* Rescue 1122 district emergency officer says people should install security and fire systems

By Shafiq Sharif

LAHORE: Fire incidents in Lahore have increased around 67 percent in 2008 as compared to 2007, Rescue 1122 officials told Daily Times on Monday.

They said the fires caused losses of “billions of rupees”, but did not give a precise figure.

Two major incidents, which lasted for 20 and 13 hours respectively, have put a question mark on the ability of the rescuers.

1,550 fire incidents: In 2008, they said, the city witnessed about 1550 incidents of fire, of which only 1,078 cases were reported. In 12 districts of the Punjab about 4,621 incidents of fire were reported, of which 810 took place in Faisalabad, 521 in Rawalpindi, 170 in Bahawalpur, 516 in Multan, 167 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 64 in Rahim Yar Khan, 124 in Sahiwal, 309 in Gujranwala, 280 in Sialkot, 29 in Murree and 81 incidents occured in Sargodha.

On January 21, the city’s first major fire erupted in a steel factory on Bund Road. The fire lasted for 20 hours, because the rescuers had not been able to enter into the factory.

On December 28, the second major fire erupted in a plaza in Shah Alam Market owing to short-circuiting. Five rescuers fainted in the 13-hour long fire. They said that the plaza was located in alleys and had only two entries, a four-feet wide door and a window. They said that the unavailability of an entry point had created problems for them in putting out the fire.

Install fire systems: Rescue 1122 District Emergency Officer Ahmed Raza said that short-circuiting, power tripping and substandard uninterrupted power supply (UPS) units were some of the reasons that resulted in an increase in fire incidents in the city. He said people should install security/fire systems in accordance with laws. He said people should avoid using substandard electric wires while constructing buildings.

Rescue 1122 spokesman Faheem Jehanzeb said that they had limited resources. He said, however, they would take only seven minutes to reach an affected area.

He said they had only a 105-foot long ladder, a 60-foot long aerial platform, 15 engines, two water bruisers, three rescue vehicles, 22 ambulances and 500 rescuers. He said the fire brigade units would work under them soon.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg13_8