Amid a growing number of fire incidents during the onset of winter, the Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services, Jammu and Kashmir needs to pull up its socks and get ready for unprecedented emergency situations surfacing out of increase in fire incidents, which often becomes a near norm during this time of the year especially in places where wood is used extensively in construction of houses and business establishments viz. mountainous parts of the Union Territory.
Just take a glance at the news reports, two fire incidents have been reported from J&K in the last two days proving that the assertion made regarding increase in fire incidents in this season is true to the hilt.
In the latest inferno case reported from Gunz top village of Trigam in Khari tehsil in District Ramban three houses were gutted in a major blaze in the wee hours today leaving several families homeless. In the same context, a day before, pre-dawn fire damaged several rooms of the Outpatient Department (OPD) building of JVC Hospital, Bemina in Srinagar. Fortunately in both the inferno cases reported from Jammu and Kashmir divisions, there was no loss of lives although properties worth lakhs of rupees were perished within a short span of time.
Looking at the emergent situation, it is necessary that the Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services, Jammu and Kashmir should come up with a detailed advisory urging the public to adopt strict safety measures while using electrical heating gadgets, Kangris, and LPG appliances. The department should emphasize vigilance to prevent avoidable tragedies caused by domestic fires that typically rise during the cold season.
The advisories issued must highlight a series of preventive steps for households and commercial establishments cautioning the general masses to ensure that all electrical heating devices, including room heaters, Bukharis, and LPG stoves, are properly switched off before leaving home or going to bed. Another issue which holds much significance is precautions against deaths due to asphyxiation, which is also common in mountainous regions of Jammu division and in the Valley during the winter season as people use charcoal extensively for heating purpose.
All said and done, taking proper precautions against these two issues can stop tragedies from happening and therefore the government, the aforesaid department and other stakeholders should work in tandem to impart awareness on fire safety in both urban and the remote areas as the cases of fire incidents occur in equal strength in all segments of habitations in winters. The gist of the matter is that fire incidents are supposed to occur in the coming days and the concerned department should need to be on toes to handle and safeguard the lives and properties of the people by mobilizing all means and working with enthusiasm and valour.
