“The Pessimist Sees Difficulty In Every Opportunity.
The Optimist Sees Opportunity In Every Difficulty.”

While the vulnerability to fires in Mumbai given its congested spaces/accommodations and dense population has been highlighted time and again, there cannot be any let down in the awareness and safety that need to be followed in their wake. If anything, they make for a compulsive case of rigorous adherence to safety regulations and compliance.

In the midst of the hue and cry all through the year about the alarming rise in the number of fire incidents in Mumbai, three more made their entry into this dubious record with the year end still two days away.

A massive fire broke out three days ago in a flat in Chembur building but thanks to prompt action by the Fire Brigade, it was brought under control quickly with no loss to life. Barely a day later, a fire erupted in the Acme Shopping Center in Malad. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames and luckily, no casualty was reported although many people were trapped. The cause of the fire wasn’t ascertained until the time of filing this article. According to the officials, the fire was mainly confined to electric appliances, wiring, and furniture in two shops on the first floor of the shopping centre – the usual suspects as in many cases.

These might be dismissed casually as no lives were lost but often, the morbidity factor is not taken into account when it comes to this time of the year when Christmas celebrations, by crowds gathered at city malls, can be a calamity in the making. The fire that erupted in the parking area of the well-known Phoenix Mills Mall in Lower Parel on Monday afternoon is a striking example. The fire was watched by an aghast crowd as it charred around 30 bikes parked in the vicinity. According to Mumbai Fire Brigade, the fire broke out at the parking facility of the PVR Cinemas at the mall. The only saving grace was the fire could be doused as the hydrant line at the mall was functioning.

It was believed that the fire was the result of a short circuit in the bike’s battery indicating that a short-circuit is a short-circuit wherever and however. The incident also highlighted an aspect that is rarely spoken about. Apart from being a rude shock to those who came to shop and enjoy their day off on Christmas, those with bikes parked at the lot were diverted to collecting their bikes and grapple with their insurance claims.

This incident might be thought of as one-off but its ramifications become huge when one realizes the ubiquitous shopping centres and malls that dot the metro’s landscape. These become sitting ducks if and when a fire breaks out.

In the Phoenix Mills fire, the Mumbai Fire Brigade had something to cheer about. With one of its focuses on eliciting people’s participation and awareness in such cases, the MFB found out that the fire was extinguished within minutes. Mercifully, members of the public knew how to press a hydrant line from the mall premises into service. To further confine the flames, the firemen used a first aid line from one fire engine after they reached the spot to ensure there was no major loss of property as well as life.

The moot point is this may not happen every time. Providence is not necessarily a factor that might come into play every time. The only safeguard boils to the basics about prevention, awareness, mitigation or a combination of all these.