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A fire broke out on the 10th floor of a high-rise building in Noida’s Sector 100 this week due to a short circuit in an air conditioner’s indoor unit. Though the blaze was put out within 30 minutes by the time firefighters reached the scene, several fires have occurred due to short circuits, especially during the sweltering heat of summer.
Fire breaks out in Lotus Boulevard Society, Noida. If you live in a multi-storey building, especially on the upper floors, here are some things you should know.
Also read: Noida Sector 100: Air conditioner explosion leads to massive fire in apartment, video goes viral
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If you live in a multi-storey apartment building, especially if you live on an upper floor, here are some things to keep in mind:
1. Air conditioners need to be regularly maintained
Most high rise fires occur due to poor maintenance of electrical appliances, especially air conditioners, which is important considering that most residential areas are under high load during peak summer months.
“Ideally, societies would increase their power load capacity in anticipation of rising consumption, but many don’t do so due to the lengthy process and associated costs,” said Munish Kumar, founder director, EHS Guru Sustainable Solutions Pvt Ltd, which undertakes EHS (environment, health and safety), ESG, fire and life safety, ergonomics and regulatory compliance audits and provides training and consultancy to developers and commercial companies.
Housing associations should proactively assess consumption demand and take steps to address peak load issues during summer, he said.
2. Regular fire audits must be carried out
Although a fire audit is a proactive measure, owners may perceive it as an added investment or an unnecessary financial burden.
“The fire audit assesses the adequacy of the fire protection system in the building and its ability to respond in the event of a fire. During the fire safety audit, fire experts conduct fire drills including thermography assessment of the electrical equipment. They assess the electrical equipment, fire safety risks, the ability of the fire protection system to respond, the emergency response capabilities of the occupants and most importantly, whether the emergency equipment in the building is in working order,” explains Kumar.
Also read: Fire audit averts massive fire in Noida high-rise building: CFO
Resident welfare associations should ideally conduct fire audits at least once a year. “The National Building Code, 2016, states that high-rise buildings need to be audited once in two years. The cost of conducting a fire audit ranges from Rs 100,000 to Rs 200,000 depending on the size of the building and number of towers. In townships it can cost Rs 300,000 to Rs 400,000 or more,” said a fire safety expert.
3. Make sure smoke detectors in your apartment and in common areas are in working order.
Fire safety audits assess risk but it is known that in high rise buildings, where occupants carry out extensive interior work before moving in, most smoke detectors are not in working order.
According to the National Building Code of 2016, all buildings over 30 metres in height (15 floors and above) must have smoke detectors installed in apartments. This means that the smoke detectors installed in apartments must be linked to a fire control panel and sprinkler system. For buildings under 15 metres in height, the code requires the installation of smoke detection systems in common areas.
“Residents should be careful that their smoke detection systems are not vandalised or removed during the renovation work,” Kumar said.
4. Avoid using the air conditioner for long periods of time and set the temperature to 24 degrees.
Perform maintenance on all electrical equipment, especially high-power electrical appliances such as air conditioners. During peak summer months, excessive use of air conditioners increases demand for electricity and is a common cause of tripping complaints.
Related article: Noida: Fire breaks out at IT firm and grocery store, no injuries
The temperature setting on your air conditioner is also important. People tend to set it at 17 degrees, but ideally it should be kept at 24 degrees. The reason is that 17 degrees is “unattainable” in the prevailing climatic conditions in North India, and it puts strain on the compressor. “If you set the temperature at 17 degrees and run the AC all day, it puts pressure on the compressor, which often leads to fires,” says Kumar.
5. Install fire extinguishers inside and outside high-rise apartment buildings and instruct residents on how to use them.
High rise apartment buildings should have fire extinguishers installed both inside and outside the building. What is most important is that the residents should know how to use the extinguishers in case of an emergency. For this, it is important that the Residents Welfare Association conducts practical training and workshops for all residents.
6. Install gas pipeline sensors
Leaks in gas pipelines often lead to fires, especially in hot environments, Kumar said, which is why it’s important to have sensors installed to detect such fires.
7. Should elevators be used in case of fire? Pressurization systems etc.
Experts say elevators should only be used by firefighters in emergencies. In case of a fire, stairs are the safest place for residents to escape. “Stairs are the last place to be exposed to smoke, especially in high-rise buildings, because they have pressure systems in place,” he said.
Pressurization systems (high pressure fans) are usually installed in basements and terrace areas and are connected to smoke detectors. Installed to detect fire, the smoke detectors will go off immediately in case of an emergency. The high pressure fans create a high flow air zone in the stairwells, preventing smoke from entering the area. Resident Welfare Associations should check if these units are working, explains Kumar.
8. Keep staircase areas clear of obstacles
For this reason, all common areas must be free of obstructions. Residents must not park bicycles or store household items in common areas, especially on staircases.
9. Clubs with residential or commercial kitchens
Residents should carry out regular maintenance on their chimneys as oil buildup can cause fires under hot conditions.
If your social club has a kitchen or restaurant on its premises, it will need an additional fire protection system that requires constant maintenance. This falls under the category of a commercial kitchen.
10. Do swimming pools help with fire safety?
Pools can play a vital role in case of a fire, especially if they are integrated with fire tanks. In housing societies, these are often installed in basements or on terraces near the fire pump house. The former have a capacity of over 100,000 litres while the latter has a capacity of 20,000 litres, Kumar explains.
11. Noida Fire Department’s Viewpoint
Pradeep Kumar, senior fire officer, Noida Fire Station, told HT Digital that the station is well equipped to tackle fires in high-rise buildings. “Fire engines are equipped to extinguish fires above 20 floors. So far, audits have been conducted in 370 housing societies in Noida and as many as 3,154 towers have been inspected. However, as many as 125 societies do not have firefighting facilities. Most of them have cases pending in bankruptcy courts. That is a challenge.”
The Noida Fire Department has also ordered fire fighting equipment capable of tackling fires up to 72 metres in height, he added.
Some private developers have rescue equipment that can tackle fires up to 90 metres in height (40 to 45 storeys).These are known as Bronto Skylift fire engines, Kumar explains.
The Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations, a body made up of high-rise apartment owners in Noida, has written to the fire chief about fire safety issues in a high-rise apartment community in Gautam Buddha Nagar.
NOFAA president Rajiva Singh said, “The role of fire department in educating and sensitising occupants of high-rise buildings on fire safety is crucial. Government-certified fire safety experts can also help AOA in building safe communities. Even just classifying communities based on fire safety norms can make apartment complexes better and safer places to live.”
12. Legal issues, compensation for damages in the event of a fire, etc.
The development authority will issue a fire safety certificate once the developer complies with all fire safety norms. “The fire safety certificate is essentially a legal document and is very important as it is the basis on which the authority will ultimately grant completion and other clearances to the builder,” said Akash Vashishtha, a Supreme Court lawyer who specializes in environment-related issues.
Referring to a July 2000 Uttar Pradesh government order, he explains that the norms laid down in the order are applicable to municipal town and village schemes and housing complex projects: “In layouts of various housing schemes exceeding 20 acres, it is essential to provide a water body (not to be confused with a swimming pool for leisure purposes), i.e. a pond or reservoir, in at least 5% of the total area. The depth of these water bodies should be at least 6 metres. In areas and housing schemes less than 20 acres, it is essential to provide a water body or a park or green belt (as per applicable norms) in one corner of the park or green belt. This may be a recharge well or a recharge tank.”
“The government order is aimed at ensuring that these water bodies are created for the purpose of groundwater recharge, though the water bodies can also be used as required for emergency purposes. Considering the current heatwave situation, these will also help in water security,” he said.
Highlighting the issue of compensation in case of fire, Vashishtha said if a fire breaks out after the flat owners/allottes deliberately dismantle, remove or disable fire safety facilities installed inside and outside the flat, they cannot claim compensation from the builder/developer.
“Apartment owners are not entitled to claim compensation if they commit acts endangering life or safety or fail to do anything necessary to ensure fire safety and there is reason to believe that such acts or omissions will lead to a fire accident or incident. Such claims for compensation are liable to be disallowed,” he added.
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