THE "RED COCKEREL" IS HOLDING ITS OWN

As we know, statistics are implacable and if we are to believe impartial figures, 7 to 10 million fires raged on our planet every year over the last 10 years of the 20th century alone. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of people died and are still dying to this day. Many are disabled for their whole lives and even more are made homeless. It's not for nothing that from ancient times fires have been likened to small wars. The statistics show that 70 per cent of all fires happen as a result of careless handling of fire or because of faulty electrical equipment. Obsolete electrical wires in old buildings can be identified as another widespread cause of fires. When housing is redecorated, the electrical wires are usually replaced only in people's own flats but as far as the wires common to a whole block are concerned, it's a well-known fact that they don't belong to anyone and we are reminded of them only in time of emergency. In any event, a careless attitude to the possibility of the outbreak of fire can cost one not only the property one has acquired over the years but also the most precious thing of all that a human being possesses - life. Unfortunately, the number of fires in the country has grown over the years. 

The Public Relations Directorate of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan (MES) has reported that there were 130 incidents caused by technological breakdown in the country in January alone: four explosions, one cave-in and 128 fires. Ninety-five of them broke out in people's own homes, four in state buildings, 15 in private houses, 14 in state enterprises and four in cars. As a result, sixteen people were injured, four died and 149 were rescued. Seven residential buildings, 121 rooms, one flat, two state enterprises and one private enterprise were saved over this period. 

A Portrait of Fires       

The year has only just begun and the "red cockerel" has manifested itself in all its glory. There were three fires in Ganja in the first few days of January. The city's fire chief, Shahin Mamedov, said that one fire was next to the Rizvan Petrol filling station. The fire-fighters were able to contain this fire in time. "The petrol pump was about 50 metres from where the fire broke out and there could have been a big explosion and fire if our men hadn't got there in time," Sh. Mamedov added.   The second major fire broke out in house number six on Alekper Seyfi Street. The fire covered an area of about 50 square metres, Sh. Mamedov said. An elderly woman, seventy-four-year-old Minaya Madat kyzy Askerova, and her granddaughter, Aysel Azer kyzy Askerova, were in the house when the fire broke out. The firemen managed to pull them out of the burning house, Sh. Mamedov said. Minaya Askerova, who suffered second-degree burns on her legs, was taken to hospital No 3. The third fire broke out at 1 Firdovsi Street. Fortunately, nobody was hurt here. Four of the city's fire engines were called out to tackle the blaze. 

A two-room apartment on the second floor of building number 97 in Baku's Neftchilyar Avenue, caught fire on 12 January. Practically all belongings were destroyed in the fire which was later classed as category two. There was also a fire in the  settlement of Amiradjani in Baku's Surakhany District (24 G.Guliyev Street) at the end of January. The bodies of the owner's children, Elnara Nail kyzy Atamanova, born in 1999, and Rauf Nail ogly, born in 2006, were found during efforts to put out the blaze. Etiram Shikhmamedov, a member of militarised fire unit No 54, was injured during the incident and was taken to city hospital No 3.    

Carelessness with fire and with electric heaters, smoking and also the incorrect use of gas appliances and using obsolete wall ovens are still the main causes of fire in our country, as in previous years, Agaly Ismailov, the head of the Public Relations Centre of the Main Directorate of Fire Safety (MDFS) of the Ministry for Emergency Situations, said.  "Fires are being caused more and more by the worn out nature of Baku's main housing stock and the lack of central heating which leads residents to use gas or electric fires with shortened elements to heat their homes. The MES carries out work on a regular basis to reduce the number of fires to a minimum. New preventative measures are being carried out all the time, new regulations for monitoring building fire safety are being drawn up, work to improve the fire-fighting water supply is being stepped up, sources of water are being monitored. There were instances in the past of regulations being flaunted when a building was put up or of building directly on top  of a water source. If a fire had broken out in that district, a fireman would have had nothing to put out the fire with. High voltage electricity transmission lines are being monitored more tightly now as well. The city fire service is also engaged in educating the population in fire safety: extracurricular classes are being held in some schools on fire safety regulations (by instructors from the Public Relations Centre of the Main Directorate of Fire Safety of  the MES), text books on fire safety regulation published by the MDFS of the MES have been distributed to all of the country's education departments. A magazine is being brought out called "Fighting Fires", which publishes safety norms and  regulations, and so forth," A. Ismailov said.  

High-Rise Fire - a Dual Danger

Baku is gradually turning into a high-rise capital. This has become a world-wide phenomenon lately and one which stirs up a lot of arguments. Hundreds of 15-20- storey apartment blocks have been built in the city so far. But people actually don't think about how safe from fires multi-storey apartment blocks are, or about the state of basic fire-fighting appliances. The sad statistics show that often in a fire, especially on the upper storeys, people are simply cut off from all the exits and many of them simply throw themselves out of windows in a state of panic. It's worth remembering the high-rise fire in Moscow last year when the blaze wasn't put out although the fire brigade arrived in good time. There were fatalities amongst the residents as a result. It subsequently came to light that they could have been avoided if a special engine with a cranked lifting platform and a mechanical ladder which could extend to a height of 50 metres had arrived in time. However, it turned out that there were just two such machines in Belokamennaya, one of which was not in working order. It should be noted here that there is no such special fire-fighting machinery at all in Azerbaijan and meanwhile the high-rise blocks are only getting higher. Following the growing number of fires in Moscow residential buildings, the Mayor's office decided that next year all buildings in the social sphere and places where people gather will be kitted out with special evacuation signs which are illuminated in the dark. They will show where to go in the event of a fire and where fire fighting and fire safety equipment are located. Moscow schools, kindergartens and hospitals will be equipped with these signs showing evacuation routes in the event of fire, terrorist act or disasters involving the breakdown of technology. It was also decided to install photoluminescent signs in hotels and hostels, tunnels and metro stations, theatres, concert and sports halls and also in social and rehabilitation centres. The signs showing where to go in an emergency are made of materials which can store solar energy. It is thought that the signs can  function for 24 hours in total darkness. The lighting elements of such signs have a large amount of heat resistance - they can work for at least one hour even in a fire. The incidences of fires breaking out in high-rise buildings have also increased in our capital recently. Fortunately, these buildings have been empty so nobody has been hurt.    

Minister of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan Kamaleddin Heydarov has said that there will be more fire-fighting departments as the number of new buildings in Baku is increasing. He also said that there would be more fire-fighting departments in the regions too.  "There are some mountainous regions where there are none of our posts all. From 2007, such posts will be set up in centres which can reach remote villages and rescue departments will be set up in them, " K. Heydarov said.

The MDFS of the MES also told us that the blue-prints of high-rise buildings are drawn up and agreed with all services, including the fire-fighting directorate of the MES, before construction work begins.  

"All fire safety norms and also basic fire-fighting equipment - fire extinguishers and water hoses - have to be taken into account in the blue-print. Such facilities as a roof-top evacuation area, internal taps, a basement pump, an internal water tank have to be taken into consideration in a high-rise building. Moreover, new buildings must be equipped with automatic fire extinguishers and smoke alarms. There is no need to fit luminescent evacuation signs in the city.  There is usually a need for such equipment in dark, unlit buildings. Nevertheless, if a private body wishes to install in its buildings luminescent evacuation signs which are manufactured mostly in the USA and Russia, nobody will stand in their way. There are such signs in a number of private hotels and foreign companies in the capital today. At the same time, diagrams giving a detailed description of the building, its location and so forth should be put up in every residential building, in enterprises, state institutions, schools, libraries, higher educational institutes and the underground. This information panel must also show emergency exits, " the MDFS of the MES said. 

State-of-the-art equipment, highly trained fire-fighters, educating the population on what playing with fire can lead to can all help, without a doubt, to reduce the number of fires to a minimum. But it should never be forgotten that the unforeseen may occur at any time to anyone and every one of us should know at least the basic rules of what to do if a fire should break out for any delay in such circumstances might be fatal.