Thursday | 16 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Thursday | 16 January 2025 | Epaper

Fire and fear    

Published : Saturday, 4 May, 2019 at 12:00 AM  Count : 387
Chinmay Prasun Biswas
What is fire? Literally, fire carries dual meaning.  Firstly, fire means flames, light and heat and often smoke that are produced when something burns. Secondly, fire means shooting a bullet from a gun but the first meaning is most widely discussed. Apart from literal meaning, in practical life, fire means something that warms us, mystifies us, delights us and even sometimes terrifies us. It helps us cooking food and keeping us warm in cold nights. In industrial sector fire is used for melting and producing hundreds of metal, ceramic and other products. Sitting around a campfire can be treated as one of the most pleasant experiences in life.  Fire allows us to produce light and heat, to clear forests for planting, to keep predator animals away and  also to make ornaments. It has social purposes as well. Fires serve as gathering places, as beacons for those away from camp, and as spaces for special activities.

Life, without fire, is simply unimaginable even for a single day but this very useful thing, even  just a spark, can turn dangerous at any time and any place that can destroy many things even existence.

 Before invention of fire situation was quite different. Everything was eaten raw, shivering cold became unbearable but who invented fire and when? As we learn from Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to human beings. Many Native Americans believe an animal such as a wolf, woodpecker, or coyote brought fire to people after stealing it from an evil being. Legends from the Caroline Islands in the Pacific say a young boy, Olofat, gave fire to human beings by letting a bird fly from heaven with fire in its beak.

    Apart from mythology and legend there are even different scientific theories regarding invention of fire. According to chemical formula, reaction of oxygen and a fuel always exist in nature i.e. fire has been around us for millions of years. It's a natural reaction and fire didn't need to be invented. The earliest creatures that predated human beings were probably aware of fire. When lightning would strike a forest and create a fire, it probably horrified and also amazed them.

In a cave, in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, archaeologists discovered evidence of fire made by human beings including remnants of campfire, carbonised fragments of leaves and twigs along with plant ash and pieces of animal bones dating back one million years ago. Researchers turned down the possibility that the burnt matter was blown into the cave by wind stating that it was clear from the consistency of the fire remnants and debris that the fires had been started and controlled by human inhabitants in the cave.

Like many archaeological discoveries this one was also accidental. Period of discovery of fire is a subject matter of age old debate but it is also established that this very useful thing sometimes becomes terrible. Some recent incidents in Bangladesh are glaring instances of the devastating nature of fire. A serious incident occurred at Nimtali in Dhaka in 2010 causing death of 124 persons. A devastating fire in Churihatta area of old Dhaka claimed at least 71 lives on the spot and more later. It was reported that cylinder gas blast was the root cause of that accident.

Within 30 days of that accident 23-storied F R Tower at Banani faced similar situation. From different reports it is known that the building was approved for 18 floors  though  violating that approval it was erected upro 23 floors but how did it happen? Honourable minister for Housing has said that information is being collected about those who were in charge of approving the plan of that building.

 Prior to it 25 shops at old Dhaka were burnt to ashes causing a loss of around Tk. 2 crore and just after two days of fire at F R Tower, Gulshan kitchen market was caught by fire. It has been said that origin of that fire was a perfume shop.

 As reported by fire service, 1,50,215 fire incidents occurred during last 10 years claiming more than 2000 lives and injuring 13,000, amount of causalities was around  Tk.4,250 crore. Reasons of fire accident are always traditional - short circuit of power, oven fire, gas cylinder, burning cigarette etc.

  Experts are passing their opinion that fire fighting system is inadequate, even zero, in high rise buildings. Owners are constructing buildings without leaving minimum space for earning more money from letting out and those are so closely attached to each other that it becomes difficult for fire service department to reach there with equipments. It is known from newspaper report (The Bangladesh Pratidin, 30-3-2019) that fire service department is not modernised and equipped enough to operate rescue activities in high rise buildings. In any disaster including fire hazard, fire service department plays a major in rescue operation but fire fighters, even risking their lives, are not getting expected result simply due to lack of modern equipments. They don't have jumping cushions and high ladders. Since 2000 high rise buildings like 20-storied or more are being constructed in Dhaka city but existing ladders of fire service department can reach upto 11th floor only.   

After every incident all concerned get active and vocal but after some days everybody forgets it and things run as earlier till another accident occurs. Honourable Housing Minister termed F R Tower tragedy not as an accident but a murder against which legal action would be taken. Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has said that case has been filed. Even Inspector General of Police has also risen the question what RAJUK had been doing so long? If victims' families file suit it would be better. Otherwise, police itself would do it. Probably this is for the first time that a vital question has been raised from such high chairs of government.

Regarding fire fighting a film named The Towering Inferno was produced in Hollywood in 1974. Starred by world famous Paul Newman and Steeve McQueene the film was released in 1975. It was the first ever joint production of two Hollywood studio giants - 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers. Language of its poster was very attractive -"(1)one tiny spark becomes a night of blazing suspense ", and (2)" the world's tallest structure is on fire, you are in the 135th floor, no way in, no way out". How a tiny electric wire spark can create devastating fire, how a 150 storied building blazes, how much effective was fire department of Californiz, how rescue operations are conducted, all these matters were very shown in that suffocating  film. Nominated in  8 categories it finally won 3 major Oscar awards. 

Here in Dhaka it has been repeatedly found how a building or a market is blazed and becomes an inferno, Concerned persons may enjoy that film (which is not at all impossible in this day of internet and you tube) to  gather experience  about technique of fire fighting and rescue activities. Even after 44 years those  techn ques are perhaps yet to be learnt by us.

From newspaper report it in known that a high power committee was formed  by ministry of home affairs under the directive of honourable High Court after Nimtali incident. That committee submitted a report containing 17 recommendations but not a single recommendation has yet been materialised (The Bangladesh Pratidin, 31-3-2019) which results in repetition of similar type of incidents. Again a 15 point directive has been issued by Honourable Prime Minister. Let us be hopeful that these will be implemented.

Not only visible fire but there is another type of fire behind fire hazard and that is fire of greed i.e. greed for money of owners of buildings. There us hearsay that after a fire accident more money is taken from new traders replacing the old ones to carry on business on that premise. Unless greed for money is quenched or at least controlled there is no way to get rid of fear of fire.

The writer is a former Commissioner of Taxes


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