Footsore and dehydrated, firefighters battled both sun and flames for 5 days
Surviving on ORS (oral rehydration solution), glucose drinks, lemonade and buttermilk, these first responders battled the flames tirelessly, working in shifts to control the flames and contain them to the vacant plot
Battling mile-high flames, fumes and smoke for five straight days, at the height of summer, is no easy task even for the most seasoned of firefighters. Yet, that is exactly what 250 fire safety personnel had to do since Thursday evening when horticulture waste, dumped at a huge vacant plot in Noida’s Sector 32, caught fire.
Surviving on ORS (oral rehydration solution), glucose drinks, lemonade and buttermilk, these first responders battled the flames tirelessly, working in shifts to control the flames and contain them to the vacant plot.
“Our personnel were present at the spot, day in and out, battling the flames. They worked in six hour shifts in the morning and afternoon, and eight hour shifts at night. To stay hydrated, the personnel took ORS and glucose solutions, lemonade and buttermilk. They ate their meals sitting inside fire tenders,” said chief fire officer Pradeep Kumar Chaubey.
He added, “Had a small patch caught fire, we would have been able to control the flames easily, but in this case, a huge plot of 1 by 2 kilometres was burning, at least 10 to 15 metres deep.”
With temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in Noida, the firefighters are not only dealing with the flames but also the scorching sun.
“We are feeling the heat, both from the fire and the summer sun. The temperature at the spot is estimated to be higher than 40 degrees Celsius as the ground was burning as well. Many of us became dehydrated and developed breathing difficulties,” said fireman Devender Singh.
Chaubey said several firefighters, including himself, got heat boils on their head.
“Making it worse was the personal protective gear and the heavy helmets that each firefighter had to wear in order to safeguard themselves from the flames. The helmet, coupled with the flames and the sun, gave us firefighters severe boils on our scalp,” said the CFO.
Several firefighters got severe burn sores on their feet as well, from standing on the burning earth for long hours, he said.
“The fire was at least 15 metres deep and there was no other way to spray water other than that to actually stand on the burning ground. As a result, several of us have got burns and boils on our feet,” said a fire safety officer, asking not to be named.
The thick, acrid smoke did not make things easy either, said firefighters.
“The fire was reported on Thursday evening, and by Friday evening, the smoke was so dense that even buildings barely 100 metres away were not visible and we were in the thick of it. Smoke is the most tedious and exhausting to fight as firefighters tend to inhale a large amount of smoke, even though we have proper firefighting masks. The conditions were torturous,” said the officer.
Firefighters suffered from wheezing and raspy throats from ingesting smoke. “Our throats are dry and even after drinking gallons of water, we can feel smoke particles in our throat. The five days have been exhaustive to say the least. This fire is not the same as the others we fight on a daily basis. Fires in a building or a factory are controlled after a period of time and we at least have some shelter. Here, we are right in the open, under the sun, surrounded by high flames that is scorching the very ground we stand on,” said fireman Singh.
Experts say conditions such as these put firefighters are at grave health risks.
“In such situations, firefighters can suffer from electrolyte imbalance and dehydration, coupled with sunburns, rashes, fever, diarrhoea and even loss of consciousness. Having ORS and lemonade definitely helps,” said Dr DK Gupta, chairman, Felix Hospital in Sector 137, Noida.
He added that the firefighter gear also makes it difficult to have air circulation through the body.
“Further, due to the smoke, the firefighters are at a risk of asthma and acute bronchitis. Apart from that, they can even develop eye and skin allergies,” Gupta said.