Sri Vijaya Puram, November 4: With Diwali approaching, the Andaman & Nicobar Fire & Emergency Services has issued a detailed fire safety advisory, urging residents to exercise caution while bursting firecrackers and directing temporary firecracker shop owners to strictly follow prescribed safety regulations to prevent accidents during the festival.
The advisory, issued by Superintendent of Police, Fire & Emergency Services, Uma Shankar (DANIPS), highlights the risks associated with improper storage and handling of fireworks, negligence while lighting crackers and the absence of adequate safety arrangements. It calls upon residents, traders and organisers to take necessary precautions to ensure that celebrations do not result in injuries, fires or damage to property.
Residents have been advised to purchase only quality, legally approved firecrackers from authorised sellers and burst them exclusively in open spaces, away from buildings, vehicles and inflammable materials. The Fire Services has also recommended keeping buckets of water and sand readily available while lighting fireworks.
Children should burst crackers only under close adult supervision, while people have been advised to wear cotton clothing instead of synthetic or loose garments that can catch fire easily. A safe distance must be maintained while lighting fireworks, and used crackers should be soaked in water before disposal.
The advisory cautions against bursting crackers inside houses, near windows and balconies or in confined spaces. Residents have also been asked to avoid lighting fireworks near dry leaves, gas cylinders, fuel storage areas and other combustible materials. Unexploded crackers should not be relit and must be carefully disposed of after being soaked in water.
The Fire Services has further warned against leaving oil lamps, candles or diyas unattended, particularly near curtains, furniture and other materials that could easily catch fire. People have also been advised against bursting multiple crackers simultaneously or obstructing entry points and emergency exits.
Shop Safety
For temporary firecracker shops and sellers, the Fire Services has stressed strict compliance with the Explosives Rules, 2008, particularly Rules 84 and 85, as applicable.
Fireworks must be stored only in sheds constructed with non-flammable materials and secured against unauthorised access. Each temporary shop must maintain a minimum distance of three metres from another shop and at least 50 metres from protected premises and locations specified under the rules, including educational institutions, hospitals, theatres, markets, factories, places of worship, highways, public roads and overhead high-tension power lines.
The advisory also specifies that temporary shops must not face each other, while a single cluster of such shops must not exceed 50. No oil-burning lamps, gas lamps or naked flames will be permitted inside the sheds or within the prescribed safety distance.
Where electrical lighting is installed, lights must be fixed to walls or ceilings rather than suspended from flexible wires. Switches must also be securely fixed, with a master switch provided for each row of sheds.
The display of fireworks within 50 metres of any firecracker shop has been prohibited. Sellers have additionally been instructed not to store fireworks alongside other merchandise or inflammable materials. Fireworks must be kept in spark-proof containers or their original outer packaging, while opened items meant for sale must be immediately transferred to clean, dust-free and spark-proof receptacles.
Emergency Readiness
The Fire Services has also called for adequate firefighting arrangements at all temporary firecracker shops, to be made in consultation with the department. Shop owners and organisers have been advised to ensure that their staff receive basic training in handling firefighting equipment and approach the nearest fire station for the necessary training.
In the event of a fire, burn injury or other emergency, residents have been urged to immediately contact the concerned emergency services and seek proper medical attention rather than attempt unsafe rescue measures or rely on unverified home remedies.
The department has appealed to islanders, shop owners, organisers and concerned authorities to cooperate in implementing the prescribed precautions, emphasising that responsible celebrations and vigilance can help prevent avoidable accidents during the festival.
