'Fire lady' waiting at the people's market!

The "fire" waiting

In recent years, many fires causing loss of life and property have become a constant fear for people. From fires in houses, factories, apartment buildings to horrific fires in karaoke bars, warehouses... everywhere there are potential risks.

In that context, traditional markets - places with large crowds and diverse goods, especially many flammable items such as fabrics, paper, plastic, electrical appliances... - have become "hot spots" with the highest risk of fire and explosion, especially during the hot season.

For example, at Vinh market, although it is a bustling shopping center, this market still has many shortcomings in fire prevention and fighting. According to actual records, many areas in the market are currently in a state of serious degradation, especially the East and West communal houses. Here, most of the kiosks are roofed with old fibro cement panels, a material that easily absorbs heat, causing the temperature in the stalls to increase suffocatingly on hot sunny days.

Inside the textile business area at the East Pavilion, the goods are particularly flammable, and encroachment on the walkways is common. According to regulations, kiosks must be at least 2 meters apart to ensure escape space, but in reality, the distance between booths is less than 1 meter.

Not only at Vinh market but also at other markets in Vinh city, there are still many shortcomings in fire prevention work. At Vinh Ga market, the electrical wiring system is tangled, temporarily connected from one kiosk to another, where even a small spark can lead to serious consequences. Around Vinh Ga market, there are many tarpaulins stretched by traders, connecting from one pavilion to another, posing a risk of fire spreading in case of fire or explosion. In particular, according to observations, this market still lacks fire prevention equipment such as fire extinguishers and fire warning systems.

Hung Dung Market is also a market with a large number of shoppers, however, fire prevention work at this market still has many shortcomings. Mr. Le Khac Hau - Vice Chairman of Hung Dung Ward People's Committee shared: "The market was built a long time ago, many items have seriously degraded such as damaged corrugated iron roof, patchwork electrical system, temporary connection lines, no basic fire alarm and fire fighting system. We have repeatedly petitioned the superiors but there are no resources to renovate and repair".

On the full moon and new moon days, the burning of votive paper in market corners still quietly takes place as a long-standing habit, despite prohibition signs and warnings from the management board. These seemingly small acts are contributing to "fueling" the simmering dangers, pushing crowded markets into a state of constant lurking disaster in just a split second.

Strictly implement fire prevention measures

In early 2024, a large fire broke out in Vinh City at Duoc Market, Hung Chinh Commune. Although there were no casualties, many goods, including those for the Lunar New Year, were burned down, causing heavy losses to small traders. It is known that these were kiosks selling fabric and votive offerings, which are particularly flammable and spread to neighboring kiosks.

Previously, there were other fires that caused significant damage, such as the Hung Dung market fire in July 2019 or the Vinh market fire in December 2018 - this was a major fire that completely destroyed all goods reserved for sale during Tet such as candy and household appliances, causing traders to lose about 6 billion VND, many traders lost Tet that year.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Dac - Head of Vinh Market Management Board, a market that has had many fires, said that to proactively prevent fires, the Market Management Board regularly broadcasts warnings through the internal loudspeaker system, and at the same time, requires businesses to sign a commitment to strictly comply with regulations on fire prevention and fighting. At the same time, the Board's forces also strengthen inspections of the electrical system and generators at the market to ensure stable operation and no short circuits or fires. Currently, Vinh Market is equipped with 6 water tanks with a total capacity of about 1,200m³, ready to serve in any emergency situation.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Huan - Chairman of Ben Thuy Ward People's Committee said: Ben Thuy Market, also known as Vinh University Market, has a large number of buyers and sellers. Therefore, fire prevention is always a top priority for the locality, especially during the hot season, when the demand for electricity increases dramatically. For cases where traders encroach on common walkways to display goods or use unsafe electrical equipment, we will direct the Market Management Board to organize inspections and handle them in accordance with regulations.

According to statistics from the Nghe An Department of Industry and Trade, the province currently has 371 large and small traditional markets in operation, scattered in most areas from urban to rural and mountainous areas. Among these, most of the markets were built decades ago, with outdated and seriously degraded infrastructure, and the risk of fire and explosion is even more present.

Therefore, fire prevention and fighting at traditional markets is an urgent requirement, requiring due attention from both state management agencies and local authorities. In the context of increasingly extreme weather, prolonged heat, and high density of buyers and sellers at the market, investment and upgrading of fire prevention systems, organizing fire prevention drills and raising awareness among traders need to be implemented synchronously, practically and effectively.