Almost all major blazes causing massive destruction begin as small fires triggered by electric short circuits, unattended burning objects, leakages of chemical substances and so on.
If detection and fire fighting are begun when they are small, then there are more chances to prevent the loss of human lives and large scale damage to property.
Against this backdrop, training programmes and mock drills are being conducted at industries, shopping malls, theatres and commercial complexes involving employees at different levels.
Experts say the presence of equipment such as extinguishers and foam compounds alone is not enough. The more important factor is to make the workers aware of how to operate the equipment during an emergency. “The emphasis is usually put on security staff and their preparedness to fight smaller fires. Active response is vital,” said I. Dharma Rao, Divisional Fire Officer, Nellore.
Incidents due to short circuit have come down considerably after widespread use of miniature circuit breakers (MCBs), which stop supply in times of higher voltage. The managements of industries and complexes have begun following the guidelines to use them without fail.
Porlukatta incident
In December 2016, a major fire broke at a cracker making factory at Porlukatta on Nellore outskirts when 10 workers were killed. There was no major incident in the district afterwards.
The Porlukatta incident had led to increased number of inspections and training programmes at manufacturing units.
