A fire broke out Indira Park, one of the city’s largest green spaces, around 1pm on Sunday. Fire department officials said the blaze could have been caused by a lighted cigarette thrown on a pile of leaves. They said careless smoking was the leading cause of fires in the city, and the numbers have been going up every year.
Telangana state disaster response and fire services department officials said four fire engines used to extinguish the flames at Indira Park.
“It was fortunate that our fire tenders reached the spot and controlled the blaze on time. About 10 cars were parked near the site of the accident. If the embers had reached them, it could have been a serious accident,” said district fire officer B Harinatha Reddy. Custodians of the park said the dry twigs and leaves had been lying there for a while. They had fallen after the rain that lashed the city in September last year.
Data from the fire department shows that careless smoking has sparked more blazes than open fires or explosive fireworks in the city over the last few years. According to its records, careless smoking is the leading cause of fire accidents in the city.
The number of fires caused by careless smoking has risen 65% since 2010.
A fire department official said improperly stubbed-out cigarette butts can smoulder for some time and cause a fire when they come in contact with a combustible material.
“After one throws away a lighted cigarette, wind can create an ignition. When the sparks come in contact with combustible items like waste paper, dry garbage or trees, it can cause an inferno,” said an expert from the Fire Safety Association of India.
While careless smoking has been a burning issue, fire department officials said public awareness is the need of the hour.
“Owing to a paucity of funds in our budgetary allocation, we cannot take up expensive awareness campaigns. We limit our awareness-building events to schools and hospitals. We go there with our fire tenders and tell them about the different kinds of fire hazards and ways to prevent them,” said V Papaiah, regional fire officer.
Date: January 09, 2016