Fire Traps

[john b good]

From the front page of today's Bangkok Post..........

Is this really news?

I mean nothing has changed (indeed the more things change the more they stay the same)

City buildings `fire traps'

Rewadee Chungsupong, a landlady in Rama III area, checks an iron grille to make sure she could open it in an emergency. Anti-burglar grilles often trap residents inside in fire accidents as people tend to misplace the keys for unlocking the grilles. — SAROT MEKSOPHAWANNAKUL

Poor planning, lack of proper equipment

ANCHALEE KONGRUT WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM

Poor town planning, narrow congested streets and poor fire control capabilities make rescues almost an impossible task in much of Bangkok, senior city officials said yesterday after three fires that claimed six lives over the weekend.

Kosin Tedwongse, Phra Nakhon district office director, said casualties and fire damage will remain high as long as nothing is done to improve town planning. Phra Nakhon is one of two districts with the best fire prevention schemes. The other is Klong Toey, where firefighters have more experience in handling fires in crowded communities, he said.

The three most difficult areas are Pratu Nam, a hub for textile retailers in Ratchathewi district, Pomprap Sattruphai and Samphanthawong districts.

Mr Kosin said the city has a labyrinth of small alleys that fire trucks cannot enter while the congested nature of the city makes fires spread quickly. Rampant illegal modification of buildings makes firefighting even more difficult, he said.

Iron grilles on shophouses along the entire length of Ratchasupamit road, Pomprap Sattruphai district, could prove deadly in case of fire. — APICHIT JINAKUL

The issue of fire control came up after the city was hit over the weekend by three fires that left six people dead.

In two cases, in Ratchathewi and Pomprab Sattruphai, small entrances prevented firemen from reaching the blazes within seven minutes _ the standard fire control requirement. Although rescuers on a helicopter eventually picked up three people trapped in a flaming building in Ratchathewi, they eventually succumbed from inhaling toxic fumes.

Sawarng Boonsit, director of Ratchathevi district office, said he was worried about communities located in small alleys that cannot be reached by fire trucks.

As a general principle, a fire truck needs a road to be at least six metres wide with plenty of open space around a building to deal with a fire. There are many buildings more than seven-storeys high and crowded communities in small alleys in the district.

Worse still, some communities do not have standard fire hydrants or even a proper water supply, he said.

A source said fire hydrants in Suan Phlu during a major fire two months ago were dry as the water supply had been cut off to prevent water theft.

The blaze prompted Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej to order all district offices to draft community fire prevention plans. He wanted the plans to provide details of fire truck access routes, hydrants or water resource sites, names of coordinators, as well as evacuation meeting places.

However, the source drafting was moving at snail's pace.

Many districts offices conceded that drafting was only in the preliminary stages and would take months to complete.

Meanwhile, Pol Maj-Gen Athilak Tanchukiat, chief of the city administration's Disaster Prevention and Rescue Operation Office, said more money was needed for fire control facilities, including fire trucks, to tackle the problem.

A study by Chulalongkorn University conducted in 1983 said the city needed at least 77 fire stations, he said.

``But we only have 35 stations. We want to have 78, meaning one fire station for every two square kilometers. That would enable us to fight fires far better.''

A great many buildings were constructed before the Building Control Act of 1992 was enforced and some simply have no fire prevention plans as required by law, he said.

Chuwit Kamolvisit, a Bangkok governor candidate, said fire rescue operations were often hampered by a lack of manpower and proper equipment.

``The size of sois does not matter,'' he said. ``The real problem is fire rescue volunteers arriving before city firemen but being unable to start work as their fire hoses leak and their other equipment is in such poor condition.

``City firemen are also just not capable,'' Mr Chuwit added.

[john b good]

I must say that on the occasion of the latest fire that I was somewhat impressed (and it takes a bit to impress me ) by the efforts of the rescue team.

I take my hat off to the guys involved on this one.

[richb2004]

Fire comes under safety, which in Thailand seems to be of limited importance.

I went to the cinema on Laem Tong shopping centre in Rayong some time back. The movie finished quite late and the place was locked up so we had to exit via the back entrance. I've never seen such a safety hazard in my life! There were a couple of hundred people squeezing down a narrow staircase and through extremely tight gaps to try to get out. There where fire exits on the way, but they where all locked. I found it a bit worrying. I haven’t been back to a late showing since.

One more moan from me.

[cobra]

... safety, which in Thailand seems to be of limited importance.

Took a little hop to Phangan one night, on a good day the boat may have held a dozen, I counted 3 times that on deck and half that much again on top and on the boards, most drunk, no vests, no running lights and of course fully on-step ..

but yet you never really hear much about mishaps or accidents, drunks falling into the sea, etc, ... the survival instinct is strong ...