City buildings are fire traps

A small fire broke out and was doused at a showroom in City Center Mall in Banjara Hills, moments after the Carlton fire in Bengaluru. This mishap has thrown up an alarming truth — most city establishments have no fire checks in place.
Less than 10 per cent of commercial establishments and buildings in the city have safety standards that have been certified, say authorities. And only two city hospitals gained clearance with No Objection Certificates from authorities. That leaves most malls, multiplexes and commercial establishments in the city at risk. It also places a question mark on the safety of people who work in these buildings. Bad wiring, possibility of short circuits, lack of sufficient fire extinguishers are only some of the hazards in city buildings.
Fortunately, the mall was well-equipped with fire extinguishers and alert staff quickly doused the flames that had begun sparking up in a store signage. Mohanlal Kararia, the store’s manager says staff first saw smoke in the store. “Suddenly a fire broke out. The staff used the mall’s extinguisher to douse the fire that was caused by a short-circuit in the glow signboard wiring.”
But this mishap comes as no surprise considering less than 10 per cent of commercial establishments have infrastructure in place to prevent fire hazards and accidents, say authorities. P. Venkateshwar, director, AP State Disaster Response and Fire Services, says all establishments must comply with safety norms. However, he admits that most hospitals, educational institutions, cinema halls, offices, malls and commercial complexes don’t have fire safety checks in place.
“But we have issued NOC to less than 100 city establishments in all,” he says. These comply with safety norms issued by the GHMC and the government. He said only two hospitals Usha Mullapadi and Yashoda Hospital in Patny had obtained No Objection Certificates from the department.
Short circuits and old, unreliable wiring are the biggest causes, he reveals. “We receive 23,000 fire complaints a year from all over the state. Of these 25 to 35 per cent are fires that broke out due to short-circuits. Old wiring, lack of proper insulation, overloading are the culprits. Old wiring must be replaced regularly to prevent these accidents,” he says.
Some important points to bear in mind in such situations, he says, is to switch off the power supply before trying to douse the flames with water or carbon dioxide. He adds that it would be wise to call 101 immediately.
However, authorities point out that often the real cause of fires is hidden and short-circuits are a convenient cover-up for negligence and help with insurance claims.
A.G. Rama Prasad, a city electrical inspector says short circuits are given as the cause of most fire accidents, which is not factual. “Be it to get the necessary insurance cover or to camouflage the causes, short-circuits are the perfect excuse. Only after experts asses the site, can the real cause of the fire be verified,” he says.