Aero India fire | Uncut dried grass could have aggravated blaze

Intermittent explosions could be heard as cars fitted with CNG cylinders caught fire

The destroyed cars at Bharati Nagar Gate’s parking area after a massive fire broke out on the fourth day of Aero India 2019, at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, in Bengaluru, on Saturday.

Around noon on Saturday, when the heat became near unbearable at Air Force Station, Yelahanka — while ace shuttler P.V. Sindhu was taking off on the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas), and the helicopter team Sarang was enthralling thousands gathered at the Aero India 2019 — a thick plume of smoke was seen on the horizon.

Within minutes, it had spread like a mushroom cloud in the sky. The morning’s aerobatics, which was on its last routine, was truncated, while the noise of tens of emergency services pervaded the usually noisy display area of Aero India.

As people started to panic, perhaps due to the fear that a plane had crashed much like what had happened on the eve of Aero India that resulted in the death of a pilot, defence officials rushed to calm the burgeoning crowds.

“Continue doing the activities you are going. The fire and smoke you see are from normal domestic fire of dried leaves. There is nothing to worry,” said the announcers at the event.

Struggle to contain blaze

However, at the car park where over 1,500 cars stood in neat rows, around 25 fire tenders and emergency services officials struggled to contain the blaze. Considering the rush outside the premises, it took fire tenders 10 to 15 minutes to reach the spot. While fire tenders poured thousands of litres of water on the cars, several police and emergency personnel as well as passers-by at the car park, attempted to push unaffected cars away. Officials said they could contain the spread of the blaze by ensuring distance between the unaffected cars and the blaze to create a fire-control line.

Eye-witnesses said the area had over two feet of dried grass, which needed only a spark to set it off. With some of the cars being fitted with CNG cylinders, explosions marked the blaze as it spread. By 2 p.m., the extent of the damage was apparent.

Sunil Agarwal, Additional Director General of Police (Fire) said three fire tenders parked on the site and off site near the venue attended to the fire first, before 25 other tenders joined.

The teams managed to save as many as 800 vehicles parked, he said.

“The reason for the fire could be anything. But dried grass in the area aggravated the situation. It was only after three hours that it could be doused,” he said.