Tiny heroes, big rescue: 15 kids stop raging fire, save 1,000 acres in Lucknow
The incident occurred while elders from the village were attempting to extinguish the flames themselves. The children, equipped with basic fire safety knowledge from their school textbooks, acted swiftly and informed both the police and fire departments.
A group of about 15 primary school children, all under the age of 12, helped avert a major disaster on Tuesday by quickly alerting emergency services about a raging fire on the outskirts of Lucknow. Their timely call to 112 and 101 not only helped save nearly 1,000 acres of farmland and jungle but also protected nearby villages from the fast-spreading blaze.
The incident occurred while elders from the village were attempting to extinguish the flames themselves. The children, equipped with basic fire safety knowledge from their school textbooks, acted swiftly and informed both the police and fire departments.
“They knew what to do during a fire emergency. Their prompt action led to a quick response by the fire brigade,” said Sumit Pratap Singh, fire station officer, Sarojini Nagar.
He added that the fire could have spread to nearby villages such as Sahjullah Nagar, Sahjanpur, Amawa, and Chakk if the children had not alerted authorities in time.
“The children not only made the emergency calls but also guided the fire personnel through narrow village lanes, helping us form an effective strategy to contain the fire,” Singh added.
According to the fire department, large swathes of wheat crops were reduced to ashes. Villagers also reported the loss of one bigha of cucumber crops and substantial damage to mango and betel gardens.
“The flames reached close to village homes, creating panic among residents. Ten fire tenders were deployed from various stations to douse the fire,” said Mangesh Kumar, chief fire officer, Lucknow.
Fire station officer Singh stated that although about 1,000 acres of farmland and jungle were damaged, another 1,000 acres were saved due to coordinated efforts.
“Our teams formed a ring around the wildfire, using water from fire tenders and tubewells to extinguish the flames from all directions,” he said.
The fire department is now assessing the total loss and cause of the blaze, which is believed to have started due to dry vegetation and soaring temperatures.