Hoarding fuel due to crisis ups fire risk

KATHMANDU, Feb 22: Electric sparks due to shortcircuit ignite a majority of fires, and massive hording of fossil fuels during the acute fuel crisis is making matters worse,with firefighters taking on some three fires in the capital on an average day.



Kathmandu Fire Brigade, popularly known as Juddha Barun Yantra, says petrol and cooking gas horded at private homes have turned many minor fires into raging conflagrations. [break]



According to the fire brigade, there have been 170 outbreaks of fire in the Valley in the past six months, with most of them occuring in the last three months and coinciding with the acute fuel shortage.



“People´s habit of storing fossil fuel to tackle the supply crisis has significantly raised the risk of big fires,” chief of Kathmandu Fire Brigade, Lila Raj Gachha Magar, said.



"To hoard in times of scarcity is natural. But people are unwisely storing highly imflammable fuel near the kitchen where most fires break out," he added.



He recounted a fire at a house at Dhalko, Ward No. 17 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), a month ago, triggered by a cooking gas leak in the kitchen. But the landlord had also stored five liters of petrol near the kitchen and that resulted in massive fire damage to the house.



The fire brigade says cases of stored fuel aggravating fires have increased in the recent past.



Firemen claim that electric sparks from inverters and voltage surges following long periods of power outage have sparked many fire. “There has been a sharp increase in fires due to shortcircuits as loadshedding has increased in the last three months," Bashudev Hengaju, a fire brigade official, disclosed.



He said dozens of compensation claims have been registered with Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) recently, blaming fluctuating voltage for damage to refrigerators, television sets and other appliances. He said use of candles during power cuts has also triggered fires while many people have been injured by the explosion of inverter cells and mobile phone batteries.



Firefighters have also blamed negligence by gas suppliers for the fires.



"The gas companies do not put a properly fitting washer on the cylinders and consumers do not check for leakages due to ill-fitting washers or their absence altogether," Gachha Magar said, recalling how gas leakage resulted in fire at Mahabaudha a few days ago in which four people suffered severe burns.



"The government should monitor the safety of gas cylinders including the inappropriate use of washers, which has resulted in loss of lives and property," he added.

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