Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
Fire is an element of human civilization. Fire is being used today for transportation, electricity generation and many more. The present civilized world is helpless without fire. But this fire is causing the losses of many lives every year. This damage is done because of ignorance and carelessness. The fire accident has become a citizen’s thinking now-a-days. From fire hazards it truns to disaster. By nature, fire disaster is the serious of all disasters.
Fire is the result of chemical reaction of certain objects or many objects that produce heat and light. Fire is the continuous burning process through uninterrupted chemical reactions of the three components of combustible material, oxygen and heat. The sources of fire are – stove, bidi, cigarette burning residues, twilight sticks, open lamp, fire pot of elderly and old age, ash stacked, blade fire, electric disorder, smoke emitted from the chimney flame, friction of machinery, spontaneous fire, fires made by hostile & fire raging. Fire statistics show that every year the origin of the fire is identified mostlt from the stove. If the consciousness is not shaky during cooking time and after that, there can not be a fire accident from the oven. If the burning stick and the burning residues of cigarette are thrown off well, then there is no chance of fire. Electricity should be used in its proper guiding principle and has to be tested occasionally. Old wires have to be changed. The electric connection should be covered above. However, in to-days major cities, Upazila cities even in the rural areas the aged & under aged children carry out torch rally and some ill occurrences are taken place by them. Often, teenagers use fire to kill the wasps. It’s not safe at all. Besides, there are some things that automatically create a fire. Straw stack and stove coals are the things of that type.
In the village wood, bamboo, straw, jute-shola etc. are more commonly used for the construction of houses, shops and markets. They are easy to burn and rapidly spread the fire. If not careful about using fire, there my be an accident at any moment.
To take precautions in this regard, the first thing we need to know about the causes of fire. It is easy to take precautions if we know the reason. The problem has now been seen in the city slums area. Some profiteers or speculators of the city occupy the public place or make houses in their own place for the floating people coming from villages. These slum areas are so dense that a house is built with a house & is attached to it. The roads are very narrow. Only one man can walk on the road in same way. In addition to slum area, old Dhaka’s picture is visible to all of us. Electric lines are almost illegal. Anytime there can be electric short circuits & there may be a fire. The condition of the gas line is the same. There are several oven connections with one line & most lines are illegal. The ovens are kept burning almost every time so as not to burn a stick for the second time.
This situation is very risky for the fire. If there is a fire, no fire service vehicle can enter. This is the case not only of the slum areas. The electric lines of factories, ‘especially in the garment factories’, other small factories and big buildings should be specially set up with care. At the beginning of the connection, it is particularly important to have a responsive & proper functioning framework system. So that, if there is a short circuit somewhere, this process can stop all the electric current of the line.
Likewise, in all the rooms, such structures should be installed will all electric powered machines. Electric lines must be connected by experienced engineers and technicians and occasionally inspection of electric wiring, switch, machinery apparatus is necessary. There should be smoke detectors & alarm in every room. What needs to be done when the fire starts is as follows : (1) Everybody will have to go out of the house without screaming if there is a fire, (2) Alarms will start playing them, (3) Without disorder or hasty, gradually go out of the house and take refuge in a safe place, (4) No matter how small the fire is, the fire service Department will be immediately notified about the fire and attempts should be taken to put out fire with nearby fire extinguishers such as sand, water and basket etc. (5) It is not right to let anyone to enter the room until the fire is complete or up. In addition the store of combustible materials and chemicals should never be placed in the settlement area or market. These must be made specifically at the open space by river or ground. These areas have to be proclaimed as smoke free areas & have to put stickers on these areas.
In the last few years, there has been a huge loss of lives due to fire incidents in various garment factories. It is imperative to ensure the availability of modern equipment in every industry & factory by establishing trained and active fire fighting units immediately.
There is a loss of lives and property due to fire. People, families, business people and other people have been affected by the fire accident in the country, have become helpless. For protection from fire we need precautionary measure, arrange training for putting out fire and each area will have to create on area-based disaster volunteer team.
They should be provided training and supply of fire extinguishers. It is necessary to establish these properly in every factory and in the educational and households. They need maintenance and also need training to use them.
Above all, for the slum dwellers, necessary steps should be taken to make project based beautiful and safe housing. It is possible to implement even the individual and the private sector and secure housing system.
Many times people make some mistakes for their negligence & ignorance. And this is to say that some awkward incidents happen due to some insignificant thoughts, which have serious consequences. Such as-leaving the burning cigarettes where it is left, not putting out the burnish store or unaware of the fire pots used beside the beds of the octogenarian aged people. Many people think that such activities are very trivial and ordinary. In fact, we make these mistakes due to our ignorance and irresponsibility. This type of activity is not possible for a patriotic citizen with sense. So we must be self-conscious and be motivated by patriotism. If we are careful about the overall use of fire, many resources of the country will be saved from the destruction. We believe it would be possible to stop the destruction of a large number of national resources if all our social workers, organizers, various voluntary organizations. Private institutions, NGOs and above all governmental institutions take effective steps to prevent the fire.
