Learning a lesson from the fire tragedy at a temple in Kerala, where over 100 lives were lost, the Fire Department here has began using a flame retardant which can prevent materials from catching fire up to a heat of 1,000 degrees Celsius.
The FUDM flame retardant solution, which is a chemical mix of ammonium polyphosphate, nitrogen and other compounds, can simply be sprayed onto surfaces or any other place to prevent them from catching fire easily. In a trial run, the State Disaster Response and Fire Services (SFDRS) Department used 16 litres of it in Bhadrachalam at the temple during the Ram Navami celebrations a few days ago.
Preventive
“We had introduced this as a technology demonstrator. Let’s say a VIP is coming to the city, so we can just spray the retardant onto the dais and other places wherever he or she will sit. It is an option to use to prevent accidents from happening, especially in tightly packed public places,” said a senior official from the Fire Department.
The official explained that in Bhadrachalam for example places, where fire accidents could be expected, were sprayed with the retardant and that the celebrations took place without a hitch. “We have been doing some research off-late and we decided to introduce this chemical.
“Since we don’t have the budget to procure in large quantities, we have intimated the Government and other departments that it is also an option which can be utilised,” said the official.
The retardant in liquid form was purchased on an emergency basis in the case of the usage at Bhadrachalam, said the official.
Fire incidents
With the temperature hovering around 43 degrees Celsius, the number of fire incidents in Telangana have been increasing everyday in April. Barring the few days when it rained, between 50 to 60 cases are being reported everyday, data from the Fire Department revealed.
The highest number of cases was recorded at 72 on April 12.
This month alone, 877 fire incidents were reported till April 18, out of which 829 were small fires, 50 were medium and 25 were rescue/emergency calls. As summer is peaking, the average number of fires is expected to increase till May.
“Due to the heat, there is no moisture in the environment, and things catch fire very easily. Most of the small fires are the result of people burning dry leaves which fall from trees. If that stops, then the number will come down,” said an official from the Fire Department.
He added that kitchen fires and electric fuses were also two other major causes of fire accidents in the city. In March, a total of 1,144 fire incidents were reported with 877 cases having been recorded in April, the number is expected to go up higher.
“Last year, the highest number of fires reported in a day was 101,” recalled the official.
