Recent fires spur Sharjah into action
Aspate of fires in Sharjah over the past two months have left the authorities concerned in its wake. Despite the collaborative efforts being made by the concerned authorities to curb fire accidents in the summer, blazes have erupted in factories, warehouses and commercial outlets over the last weeks, gutting all their contents and creating a huge loss of properties to owners.
Right at the start of the summer and in June alone, four massive fires broke out in the emirate. It has raised concerns among Sharjah residents, who fear more such accidents in the next two months of intense summer heat.
Unlike residential fires, the recent fires in industrial areas have not recorded any casualties, thanks to the quick response and evacuation operations by authorities.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Colonel Sami Al Naqbi, Director General of Sharjah Civil Defence, said that there are many reasons for fire accidents in the summer, such as overloading of power, poor quality of wiring and improper electricity network connections.
“These result in electrical short circuits that lead to a fire in one warehouse or industrial premises, which then spreads quickly due to the flammable materials stored inside,” he said.
“Improper storage doesn’t cause fires, but it does hinder firefighters from entering the area. The other main reason for fires is negligence on the part of companies that fail to adhere to fire safety procedures, thus exposing their workers to danger,” he said.
Industrial areas are also prone to fires because the temperatures there tend to be higher than in residential areas, created by the operation processes of factories, workshops and industrial plants. One recent accident occurred in an oil plant that caught fire. “We can’t say that all fires are set off by the owners themselves to gain insurance money, because most of the warehouses and factories gutted this year were uninsured,” Col Al Naqbi stressed.
He noted, however, that massive fire incidents have reduced by over 50 per cent this year, compared to the same period last year.
“The extensive efforts being made by the Civil Defence in coordination with concerned departments, such as the municipality, Sewa, police, and economic department to save lives and properties has paid off,” he said.
Target is quick response
The civil defence department is currently working hard to achieve the fastest possible response to fire accidents by increasing the number of fire stations in the emirate’s vital areas. “The response time in July 2016 was 7.4 minutes, while the target is 5.5 minutes,” he said.
“During a fire, the flames spread quickly, so only quick response can control the blaze before it reaches nearby premises or objects.
The department also seeks to link all commercial and industrial establishments in the emirate to the Civil Defence operations room, to alerts firefighters and show the fire location for quicker response,” said Col Al Naqbi.
In many cases, people try to put out the fire themselves and delay calling the civil defence, an act that is as dangerous as it is careless, causing loss of properties.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com