450 fire incidents reported from district so far this year

Thiruvananthapuram: The district is witnessing an alarming rise in fire accidents, with nearly 450 incidents reported so far this year.
Fire and rescue officials attribute this increase to soaring mercury levels, coupled with a rising number of electrical faults, overuse of electrical appliances such as air conditioners, unsafe storage of combustible substances and careless burning of garbage, among other reasons.
Until last year, fire accidents were decreasing in the district, with 1,551 incidents reported last year, 1,706 in 2023. In 2022, there were 3,124 incidents and 3,500 in 2021. Fire officers term the sudden surge in fire accidents as alarming, as nearly 30% of the total number of incidents in 2024 has already taken place in less than two months of this year.
"Most fires in Thiruvananthapuram were reported in open spaces and were due to a lack of awareness. Vegetation on land becomes dry due to excess temperature and catches fire easily. In some cases, waste materials, which were stored negligently, caught fire. Short circuits were the cause of fire in a few cases. Whatever the reason, excess temperature works as a catalyst in spreading fire further," said Abdul Rasheed K, regional fire officer.
Among the reported fire incidents, 60% took place in public places, 30% were forest fires and the rest constituted incidents at houses, offices, godowns, vehicles and others. Of the 450 incidents reported this year, 278 were in public places, 142 were forest fires.
"Of the fires in public places, 95% were man-made as people burn garbage, plastic or other waste materials without any precaution. Forest fires could also be man-made, but their exact cause goes untraced. Fires at houses have been due to short circuits and overuse of electronic equipment," said a fire official. Forest fires are reported at Parassala, Vithura, Kattakada and Neyyar Dam fire stations.
"Through awareness, most fire accidents can be avoided. Proper housekeeping is an ideal measure, as one should not dump materials negligently in and around houses. Curtains or other easily inflammable materials should not be placed near switchboards. A fire-line must be set around houses located on land with thick vegetation. The vegetation around the house must be kept clean to avoid mishaps," he said.