Four fire operations that challenged the Delhi fire services

The fires at Tikri Kalan PVC Market, Narela factory, Samaypur Badli, and now Ghazipur, have been tests for the fire department on how best to handle these fires.

When a fire broke out at Ghazipur landfill, it took Delhi Fire Service 49 hours to completely douse it. It was another example of how complicated and time-consuming firefighting and rescue operations can be. The operations can, sometimes, throw challenges that the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) officials have never faced before. Hindustan Times lists four operations that the DFS believes were unforeseen, how intricately they were handled, and how they evolve after every experience.

It was another example of how complicated and time-consuming firefighting and rescue operations can be.  (Ajay Aggarwal /HT Photo)

Tikri Kalan PVC Market

On July 11 last year, at around 5 pm, DFS received a call regarding a fire at the PVC market. When DFS reached the spot, they saw that fire was in a garbage dump in a yard in the PVC scrap dumping area. However, while the firefighting operation was underway, the wind started blowing with a vigour that the sparks flew in all directions. The fire spread to all the combustible material across 10 acres. "If you looked at the fire from a distance, it felt like the whole of Delhi was on fire," assistant divisional officer, Somvir Singh, said.

Fire officials said that to tackle the fire — which lasted four days and was finally doused on July 15 — they had to use the technique of "breaking the fire". Singh explained that they used JCB and created a break in the segment where the fire was raging. "We removed the scrap from the middle and divided the area into different parts. That's how we were finally able to douse the fire fully," he said.

A total of 38 fire tenders were pressed into service and about 200 fire operators worked during the incident.

Narela factory fire

Many in the fire department remember October 9 with a heavy heart because they lost one of their own — fireman Praveen Kumar — 18 days after he fought for survival. A massive fire broke out in a three-storey paper plate manufacturing factory at 7:15 am. It took 37 fire tenders and about 190 fire operators to douse the fire at the factory, fire officials said. It was during the operation that fire operator Kumar was hit with molten material. "He was fire fighting, eight or nine feet above the ground on the hydraulic lift and 10 meters away from the fire spot, which is considered a safe distance in our operations. But while the operation was ongoing, there was an explosion and the building collapsed. Molten material from inside the building hit the fireman who thought he was standing at a safe distance," DFS Chief Atul Garg said, adding that it took 48 hours to finally douse the fire.

Fire officials said that because Kumar panicked, he inhaled the molten material and it injured his windpipe. "A building collapse during a firefighting operation is not unusual but the explosion, subsequent collapse, and the fatal blow to the fireman was," Garg said.

Samaypur Badli

On March 29, a call was made around 6 pm stating that three men have fallen into a sewer in Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar in Outer North Delhi. Four-fire tenders with 20 fire operators were pressed into service and after a 9-hour operation, four men including an e-rickshaw driver who jumped in to save the three trapped men were recovered dead.

Garg, who supervised the operation, said the operation was challenging because they were met with a situation where the fire operators couldn't go inside the sewer. "When all the teams started working, they realised that the manhole's entry was small and one cannot go inside wearing the Breathing Apparatus Set (oxygen set). Therefore, the area around the manhole had to be dug out for officials to go inside and recover them," Garg said, adding that if the officials went inside without safety gear, they would have been harmed too.

An earthmover was then called, which dug out part of the road following which the officials were able to enter and take the bodies out one by one. While the first three bodies were recovered within an hour, the fourth body took time to be located. "There was water inside the sewer and we could only use a torch and not fire because gases inside are not only poisonous but combustible," ADO Singh said.

Around 4 am the next day, all four people were recovered dead.

Ghazipur landfill fire

At 2:47 pm on March 28, a massive fire broke out at Ghazipur landfill and was only doused 49 hours later: 38 fire tenders were pressed into service with nearly 200 fire operators working on rotation. Garg said that this operation was challenging because the fire was spread across 200 meters and it was difficult for the firefighters to reach the exact spots. "Because of the amount of water used in dousing the fire, the area had become swampy and the fire operator didn't know what was it that he was putting his foot on as there was no land," Garg said adding that there was a risk of fire tenders losing balance as well.

DFS said that there are regular trainings for the fire operators called "refresher courses" after every unusual situation they face during a fire fighting operation. "We are trained for all types of situations but the refresher courses are conducted so operators keep the nuances in mind. For instance, it's very important to don the body cover in the vicinity of the fire and one cannot be lackadaisical about it. These are the type of trainings that are conducted," said ADO Singh.