A combination of factors ranging from complete lack of ventilation and even basic firefighting equipment to clogged stairwells and multitude of wooden compartments and glass separations made life hell for firefighters, two of whom were injured, called up to douse a major fire that broke out at a textile showroom near HMT Junction at Kalamasserry on Tuesday around 6.30 p.m.
It took 75 firefighters and 15 firetenders from nine fire stations across the district to douse the fire after more than six hours around 1 a.m.
An electrical short circuit is suspected to have caused the accident and the owner of the gutted building pegged the extent of damage at ₹3 crore though exact calculations remain to be done.
Fire and Rescue Services sources said that the building, which was structured as two-storied, ground floor plus one, in the front with an extra underground floor in the rear, spread over 5,000 sq.ft. was packed with highly inflammable articles like textiles, footwear, fancy items, mattresses and cosmetics.
“The first team from Eloor that reached the spot could not approach the fire and immediately called for reinforcements. The lack of proper ventilation meant that it was like a furnace inside and the stairwells stockpiled with sundry stocks made it even more difficult for us to make progress and detect the origin of fire,” said T.B. Ramakrishnan, Station Officer, Eloor fire station.
‘Structural instability’
It took firefighters over two hours to even reach the interiors of the building owing to complicate locking and sheer absence of any ventilation. Having no escape route for the heat further intensified the fire. At one point, fire fighters were even worried about a possible collapse owing to a potential structural instability.
One of the two injured firefighters ended up with 13 stitches to an injury on his hand caused by a glass shard. “The conditions within the building made dousing the fire a far tough task while the focus was to prevent it from setting neighbouring buildings also on flames,” said Mr. Ramakrishnan.
Regional Fire Officer K.K. Shiju and District Fire Officer A.S. Jojy supervised the operations.
