More than 200 cars were gutted by massive fire blaze, opposite to the famous hospital in Chennai. Followed by the fire accident in Bangalore, this incident also imitates the same causation. Cars parked in the private land belong to the defunct call taxi company. These unused cars had been stocked on 42 acre private land, for more than one and half year. Although it is unused the stocked cars were loaded with hazardous fuels and batteries.
During this incident, the entire area is engulfed with fire blaze. Initially the security guard in the parking space noted the blaze at 2.00 pm and informed to police. Fire services are then alerted; six fire tenders arrived at the location. And it took more than two hours to douse the flame. Meanwhile, the smoke engulfed the entire locality and the residents got panicked, as they felt burning sensation in eyes.
The small entrance in the parking space obstructed the entry of fire tankers and hindered the operations for few minutes. This resulted in the massive fire spread throughout the space. As the real root cause of the incident are yet to be ascertained, the initial enquiry shows that fire caught up due to the dry grass and might spread by the strong winds.
Many criteria needs to be considered based on safety and security, prior to car stocking. For example; Proper Risk Assessment will reduce the fire hazard, prevent property loss and fatalities. For the safety concern, parking zone would be kept clear from litters, combustible hazardous materials, old batteries etc… This precautionary measure helps to prevent the fire hazards & forbid the fire spread. Moreover the Zone should be facilitated with proper lighting and emergency call boxes. The designated fire routes will also facilitate easy access for firefighting operations and Emergency Response team. So, it’s better to be proactive in preventing the property loss & fatalities; then to mend damages.
NIST Global - NEBOSH IGC | Safety 