20200227 Fire breaks out at Vellalore dump yard, extinguished
India Feb 27 2020 “Other”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Fire breaks out at Vellalore dump yard, extinguished
Updated: 2020–02–28
COIMBATORE: A fire broke out at the Vellalore dumpyard of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation on Thursday morning.
Personnel of fire and rescue services rushed to the spot and controlled the fire by around 4pm. As many as six fire engines, 12 water tankers, four earthmovers and 60 personnel worked together to bring the fire under control. Smoke had spread to neighbouring areas such as the Podanur-Chettipalayam Road.
Corporation commissioner J Sravan Kumar said they controlled the fire by late afternoon. “But there is still smoke and we are trying to put it out completely. It was just a small fire and we were able to control it as we reached there immediately,” he said.
The fire could have been caused by the rising temperature and the presence of methane generated in the yard, Kumar said. “The fire had broken out in one heap. As we had compartmentalized the yard, it did not spread. It was well within an acre.”
Activists, meanwhile, said the yard flaring up has almost become an annual affair now. They said the civic body only reacts to the incidents of fires, but doesn’t take proactive measures to prevent them.
Organizer of the Vellalore dumpyard opposition committee J Daniel Jesudass said there has to be a permanent provision for putting out fire at the dump yard. “We have been asking authorities to station five fire engines at the yard. It has not been done. Considering the frequent incidents, a fire sub-station should also be set up there,” he said.
Last year, there were two major fires at the 650-acre dump yard one in March and another in August. In the March incident, fire had spread over 80 acres and a chopper from the Sulur Air Force Station was deployed to extinguish it.
Web Source: The times of India