Scare at highrise as balcony curtains catch fire from lamp in Greater Noida

NOIDA: Several apartments in a 30-storey residential tower had a narrow escape on Wednesday morning as external sunblock curtains strung on balconies of flats in the first and second floors caught fire, which spread upwards and downwards along the facade but was fortunately contained before it could do any serious damage.
It was, however, a cautionary tale, not just for residents of Gaur City 14th Avenue but people living across condominiums and builder floors who use these curtains, which are protective but flammable, with loose ends that dangle from the flat and could easily catch a flare from a burning matchstick or a cigarette. Wednesday's blaze at Tower L is suspected to have been caused by a lamp that the first-floor resident had lit for her puja at the balcony but left without putting it out, a dangerous practice.
The fire was noticed around 11.45am when some residents and the society staff raised an alarm. A video that appears to have been shot from the tower opposite it shows the flames spreading and smoke billowing into the apartments on the first three levels. It was contained within an hour. No one was injured.
But there were several minutes of panic as the fire alarms blared and guards, residents and society staff evacuated families from apartments on the affected floors and the floors above. People rushed down the stairs from higher floors like the seventh, eighth and tenth.
Chief fire officer Pradeep Kumar Chaubey said the fire department was informed around 11.50am and two fire tenders were immediately deployed. "The fire started from the first-floor balcony which residents are using as a place for puja. The preliminary findings are that the curtains on the balcony caught the fire from the lamp, following which it spread and reached the second floor," he said.
"The second-floor balcony also has a place of worship, which too is covered by similar curtains. Flames from the curtain below spread to this one immediately. By 12.30 pm, firefighters had extinguished the blaze," Chaubey added.
The fire burnt down everything in the two balconies, but the rest of the apartments had no damage. He added that by the time fire department officials reached the spot, the flat occupants had already exited and there were no casualties or injuries from the fire.
"Archana Mishra (43), who lives in the first-floor flat, was not home when the fire started. She had left for work in Delhi after lighting a lamp at the balcony. She was informed about the fire later by her neighbours after which she came back. Ritu (45), who was in the second-floor flat, got out as soon as the balcony caught fire. Her husband works in Noida. He was in office," Chaubey said.
Firemen said the maintenance team of the society had contained the blaze to an extent, using fire extinguishers on the society premises.
Bhavesh Singh, a resident of 14th Avenue said he and others had come to know about the fire when the video was posted on the residents' group. "We immediately rushed to rescue people from Tower L. The maintenance staff and guards responded promptly. Everyone is safe and we learnt that the firefighting equipment of the society is in working condition," Singh said.
Aarif Khan, who lives on the 13th floor of Tower L, said he had stepped out for work and summoned the lift unaware when a guard informed him about the fire and advised him to use the stairs. "I joined the guard in alerting people and telling them to evacuate. The electricity was cut soon after, so stairs were the only option. Guards also informed residents through the intercom," he said.
Sangeeta Mishra came to know about the fire when her neighbour on the 7th floor knocked on her door. "My son had gone to school and my husband was in the office. I saw people running down the stairs and I joined them. I returned to my apartment around 2.15pm," she said.
A spokesperson for Gaur City said the fire was caused by a resident's negligence. "It was controlled by our fire safety and maintenance team. The fire brigade also arrived on time," the spokesperson said.