Take Fire Safety Seriously

It is worth noting that fire takes no time to destroy what people spend years building. Today’s fire incident at Mandi Town in Poonch District is another reminder of this hard fact.

Reportedly, the newly opened Chinar Cafe was completely gutted after two LPG cylinders exploded inside the closed eatery in the wee hours. The massive fire following the blasts reduced everything inside the cafe to ashes.

This incident and many others in the past in J&K raise a bigger question—whether people are taking fire safety seriously enough in Jammu and Kashmir. This question becomes even more important in remote areas, where emergency services are limited.

It has been witnessed in the past in J&K that the entire village has turned into ashes as fire incidents from a house or a shop spread across the community.

Ideally, the cylinders should have been kept outside the eatery and there should have been fire alarms and water sprinklers to stop the fire before the arrival of the fire brigade team.

In most of the cases, such precautions are being taken lightly and the results are devastating as in the case of this incident in Poonch’s Mandi. It should be taken as a lesson as LPG cylinders and other appliances using this domestic gas should be handled with great care.

Any carelessness can be dangerous as was seen in the inferno reported from Mandi area of Poonch District. The LPG companies often impart awareness on the safety of appliances and the storage of LPG cylinders but sadly people take such advice lightly and that is one of the main reasons behind such devastation.

For Jammu and Kashmir, the issue deserves special attention because in most parts of the region, houses and business establishments are built using wooden structures which are more prone to fire incidents.

The first few minutes after a fire breaks out are extremely important and therefore the people living in far flung areas should keep this thing in mind and they should be prepared for emergencies like fire incidents.

It is necessary that fire extinguishers should be made handy to deal with emergency situations till the fire brigade arrives. If a fire tender takes longer to reach the spot, local preparedness can make the difference between controlling a fire and watching an entire building or market go up in flames.

The Mandi fire should therefore not be seen as just another local incident. It should serve as a warning. Jammu and Kashmir needs a stronger culture of fire safety with prevention, preparedness and awareness given due importance.