What lessons can we learn from the "fire lady" that visited Vinh market?

(Baonghean) - Vụ cháy chợ Vinh (Nghệ An) đêm 20/6 vừa rồi gây thiệt hại ước tính hơn 10 tỉ đồng. Đây là vụ cháy thứ 4 kể từ năm 2006 tới nay, hàng trăm tỷ đồng hàng hóa bị "bà hỏa" thiêu rụi, làm cho nhiều người bỗng chốc trở thành tay trắng. Vậy Ban quản lý chợ Vinh đã rút ra được điều gì sau những vụ cháy đã xẩy ra?

Trở lại vụ cháy chợ Vinh tối 20/6/2011, có mặt tại hiện trường cùng tham gia chữa cháy, chúng tôi được chứng kiến những khó khăn của lực lượng PCCC trong suốt quá trình cứu hỏa. Thực tế cho thấy có rất nhiều bất cập trong việc thiết kế xây dựng, bố trí các dãy kiot bán hàng trong chợ, dẫn đến nhiều hạn chế cho việc chữa cháy tại khu chợ đầu mối hàng hóa lớn nhất Bắc miền Trung này, mặc dù khu chợ này mới được nâng cấp, xây dựng và đưa vào sử dụng chưa được bao lâu.

Theo quan sát, nhận định của chúng tôi cũng như của cơ quan chức năng, những bất cập do thiết kế, sắp xếp thiếu khoa học, không phù hợp với các tiêu chuẩn PCCC của một chợ đầu mối.

- Lối đi chính ra vào khu vực chợ: Được thiết kế quá nhỏ, chiều rộng không phù hợp đối với các xe chữa cháy hiện nay, chiều cao cũng bị hạn chế do bị cơi nới, lắp đặt mái che nên các xe cứu hoả không thể tiếp cận đám cháy một cách nhanh chóng và thuận tiện nhất. Trong lúc triển khai phương án cứu hỏa, lực lượng chữa cháy đã tính đến phương án dùng xe chuyên dụng để phá dỡ các chướng ngại vật này.

Lối vào chợ quá hẹp, xe cứu hỏa không vào được.

- Side aisles in the market hall: Maybe because Vinh Market Management Board wants to increase the usable area, arrange more kiosks, so the aisles between the kiosks inside the market hall are very narrow, not airy enough, ensuring fire fighting when a fire occurs.

- The kiosks are not designed and installed properly: The kiosks in the communal house are installed and surrounded by very sturdy iron rolling doors. In an effort to put out the fire, the fire department used pliers, hammers and specialized axes to break them down, but it was very difficult to break through these iron rolling doors. The doors are closed and the goods are flammable, so these kiosks become "closed furnaces" that feed the fire inside. Despite their best efforts, the fire hoses cannot spray water directly into the fire in the kiosks to put out the fire. Meanwhile, the ceiling above is made of plastic, so the fire spreads between the kiosks very quickly. Obviously, these types of assembly designs are contrary to fire prevention regulations.

If a fire occurs, how to put it out?

- Fire water tanks: Although this project was newly designed and built, the arrangement and construction of fire water tanks still have many issues to discuss. When the fire fighting was entering the most intense stage, the water ran out, and the fire fighting was interrupted because the water trucks had to go elsewhere to pump water. Most notably, one of the southern fire water tanks, right next to the fire area, for unknown reasons, the Vinh market management board arranged for some businesses to set up kiosks above the tank, causing the fire fighting force to have a lot of difficulty pumping water from this tank.

- Firefighting force of the Market Management Board and awareness of traders: Normally, for a large commodity hub like Vinh market, the Market Management Board needs to build a security team that also performs on-site firefighting duties, increase drills, and periodically practice fire prevention plans for each specific situation. But in the fire on the night of June 20, we found that the security and firefighting force of Vinh market was very confused in handling operations, and did not coordinate well with the fire police force. And when the fire broke out, the traders doing business in the market, with the desire to save their goods, unintentionally created difficulties for the firefighting force, for example, moving goods, throwing them all over the aisles, becoming obstacles. In particular, some people even fought with firefighters for water hoses to spray water to save their kiosks... from burning.

The kiosk is made on a water tank.

- Fire prevention equipment: In the area where the fire occurred, there were many flammable stalls such as: fabrics, mats, traditional medicine, fishing gear, etc., but they were not equipped with automatic fire alarm systems such as smoke detectors, temperature detectors, etc. Not to mention the market's fire pump, which according to a fire police officer: did not operate up to fire prevention standards.

Hearing the helpless cries of the traders when witnessing their goods burned, and the dirty, hopeless faces searching after the fire, everyone sympathizes and grieves. All pain will eventually be overcome! The important thing is what will those responsible learn from these "fire" visits? We only hope that the Vinh Market Management Board, as well as other markets, will learn from their experiences and overcome shortcomings, strictly comply with fire prevention and fighting laws, and minimize the damage that we can prevent and minimize.

The Son