As the state is going through a hot summer, fire breaking out at several places is also becoming a threat for many people. Such incidents show us that there are several precautions to be taken in order to control such incidents. Many godowns and organizations are not keeping proper fire control measures even if there are many strict law and order. Such lapses are brought into light only when huge disaster happens. A six-storey footwear godown was destroyed in fire at Ernakulam on Wednesday. Losses worth several crores have been estimated. The employees had escaped from the building during the fire. Fire force had also controlled the fire within suitable time. The fire did not break into nearby flats and other buildings. About 60 vehicles were used for controlling the fire. The whole city was on the edge for more than five hours. The fire and smoke also resulted in air pollution.

Since the summer has intensified, small and big fires have become a common incident across the state. Grass fields and forests witness occasional fires. A fire broke out at Mookkunnimala in Thiruvananthapuram on the same day. A spark of fire can cause a huge wildfire. Grass near railway lane caught fire recently and trains had to pause their running for a short period of time in Malabar. Such incidents can occur anywhere in the state. Grasses on the sides of railway lanes are not removed properly.

Though fire and safety precautions are made mandatory in new buildings. Investigations about these measures are carried out only when such incidents occur. Follow up on these incidents won’t be conducted properly. Fire force had to work hard to control the fire at Ernakulam. Since, there was a sheet on the building, water could not enter the building. Water entered the building only when the sheet was destroyed in fire. New buildings are being constructed in such manner, so that it becomes impossible for the fire force to control the fire. Such incidents occur when we give more importance to the overall look of the building than security. Fire force needs certain space near buildings to take control of the situation. This should also be considered during the construction of such buildings. Many buildings won’t have such facilities. Jacob Thomas had tried to conduct a fire audit in many buildings while he was in charge of fire force. He was removed from the post while he was preparing for sending a notice to those building owners. Fire audit was also later stopped. Lapses and mistakes will be considered only when such accidents occur. People escape from accidents with luck. The footwear godown was near Ernakulam south railway station. The incident could have ended in a huge disaster. Regulations should be specific and the officials should make sure that everyone is following such measures in every offices and buildings.