The city woke up to a blanket of smoke on Monday as a major fire that broke out in a commercial hub in East Fort kept officers and public on tenterhooks for nearly four hours.
Two shops that functioned from a building on Power House Road were gutted. Nine Fires and Rescue Services personnel sustained injuries. The fire was initially reported from the Chellam Umbrella Mart that functioned in a two-storeyed building in Pazhavangady by around 9.30 a.m. after traders nearby detected black smoke emanating from there.
The Fire and Rescue Services soon deployed five fire tenders to the spot. While the force was able to douse the fire on the front side of the building facing MG Road, dousing fire on its rear side proved a daunting task.
Crammed buildings
The narrow roads between the crammed buildings in the area that formed part of the East Fort heritage zone complicated the firefighting efforts. Sensing the possibility of fire spreading to the residential area on the rear side, the police evacuated residents from there. Gas cylinders were also removed from these buildings.
The firefighters had to cut through asbestos sheets to access the godown of the Chellam Umbrella Mart on the rear side of the building. Bags, umbrella, stationary and other items were stocked there. The shop also stored pillows and mattresses. The other shop gutted was one that sold footwear and bags.
Fire and Rescue Services Director (Technical) R. Prasad attributed poor housekeeping to the difficulty in accessing the building. “The stock was dumped carelessly in the godown. There was also no firefighting system in place,” he told The Hindu .
The officer added that most of the buildings in the East Fort region failed to satisfy fire safety norms. A fire safety audit had been conducted in the area, following a fire near the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, and most commercial establishments were served notices by the district administration.
No action
However, most of the erring establishments failed to act on the warnings, Mr. Prasad said.
The response of the fire force was swift and effective. A meeting of fire officers that was convened at the Fire and Rescue Services headquarters at Chengalchoola incidentally paved the way for easy coordination of the fire force fleet. As many as 32 fire tenders, including one deployed from the Thiruvananthapuram international airport, and around 200 firefighters were involved in the operation. Besides, around 75 police officers complemented the efforts.
The actual cause of fire and extent of loss is yet to be ascertained. Senior fire force officers are expected to inspect the building on Wednesday. Local residents claim to have seen the employees of the shop burning unidentified items outside the building last evening.
