Fighting ravaging fires during height of terror

by Ananth PALAKIDNAR

The Fire Brigade played an effective role in dousing major infernos when the country was in the grip of terrorism. According to Fire Chief J. Kannangara, the massive fire due to terrorist attack at the Kolonnawa and Orugodawatte oil installations along with the attack on Central Bank were the major challenges faced by the Fire Brigade in its 117-year long history.

The Fire Chief says the cities in the country are booming with modern buildings and to meet the challenges the Fire Brigade should also be well equipped to deal with any adverse situation.

In an exclusive interview with the ‘Sunday Observer’ Fire Chief Kannangara insisted on the need of modernising the Fire Brigade as the challenges in the future are not going to be confined only to fire-related incidents. The problems caused by the natural disasters have also to be confronted with.

Excerpts of the interview:-

Q:The Fire Brigade of Sri Lanka played an effective part in dealing with mass destructions when the country was endangered by terrorism. How do you describe the challenges faced by the Fire Brigade when there were explosions, fires etc?

A: Of course, it was very challenging. However, we managed to tackle the situation with the limited men and machines we possessed. I would say nothing else but the sheer dedication of our men had prevented major fires blowing out of proportion and creating mass destructions.The entire country is currently paying tributes to the Security Forces for ending terrorism which haunted the country for three decades. So while joining hands with the countrymen in saluting the Security Forces, I would also like to point out that the Fire men also contributed immensely in dousing major fires that occurred due to terrorist attacks.

Q: What are the major incidents the firemen came across during the tensed period in Colombo?

A: The terrorist attacks on Orugodawatte and Kolonnawa oil installations were the terrific fire related incidents the fire brigade witnessed in its-117 year long history in Sri Lanka.

It was in 1995 October 20 the destruction occurred. We were informed about the incident around 1.30 a.m. that day. Thirty fire fighters with fire engines had rushed to the scene to bring the fire under control.When we reached the spot the entire place was ablaze with the terrorists attacking the Security Forces who were rushing towards the scene. Suicide attacks were also carried out by the terrorists. So, despite this deadly atmosphere we fought hard to bring down the fire with water and foam. To turn our engines and take proper positions we had to depend on the lights focused on the grounds by the SLAF aircrafts.

It is with the lights from the air that we managed to spray the water and foam towards the spreading fire. The flames were reaching serious heights on the skies. The firemen managed to bring the fire under control within twenty four hours.

However, it took about three days to put down the fire completely at Kolonnawa and Orugodawatte. In the Kolonnawa and Orugodawatte disasters 21 persons were killed and several injured.

Q: Could you explain the shortcomings you had to face in the preparation of a massive fire fighting in the nature of Kolonnawa and Orugodawatte incidents?

A: First of all the communication. The Fire Department should be informed of any fire incident immediately and precisely of the location. There were instances where our hot lines went out of order and we faced problems with receiving the details of fire incident. Secondly, the coordination with the Fire Department, Police and the Security Forces has to be strengthened further.

Apart from telephone links, the radio communications should be enhanced. Several countries have developed the system called `inter operation’ with radio link up in order to coordinate with all essential services in case of an emergency.

The system is very effective and Fire brigades abroad have succeeded in responding swiftly and promptly to the challenges they face.

So, here in Sri Lanka also the `inter operation’ is vital as far as the fire fighting is concerned.

Q: How do you describe the efforts by your men in dousing the fire at Central Bank ?

A: After facing the major fires at the oil installations in Kolonnawa and Orugodawatte,the attack at Central Bank by an explosive laden lorry driven by LTTE suicide cadres remained the second biggest challenge to be faced by the Fire Brigade.

Ninety people were killed and over thousand were injured. All our fire engines with men were dispatched to the scene soon after we were informed of the incident.

But again, we faced the problems with regard to easy access and coordination with other key departments in carrying out our job. The explosives carried in the lorry were massive and the fire engulfed not only the Central Bank building but also, spread to other nearby buildings. So, we had to fight the fire while rescuing the people trapped in the buildings.

The Central Bank attack could be very well called as the 9/11 (Nine -Eleven) of Sri Lanka. Our men while fighting to put down the fire, had to respond to the SOS of the people trapped on the top floors of the adjoining buildings.

We elevated the ladders to the top most floor of the Ceylinco building to bring down the people who were trapped there.

In the meantime, we also had to rush the injured people to the hospitals. Therefore, along with our fire engines the department’s ambulances were active in the entire operation.

We managed to douse the fire within twenty four hours. However, as the Central Bank was filled with documents,flames and the smoke inside the building had to be dealt with for a few days more.

Q: Could you spell out the history of the Fire Brigade in Sri Lanka ?

A: The Fire Brigade of Sri Lanka was established in 1892. At present, we have modified our brigade to a greater extent. However, we have to go a long way to be on par with the highly sophisticated Fire Brigades in the world.

The total strength of our department is 478 men.Our department has 45 latest vehicles. At present, there are eighteen fire brigade stations located countrywide. There are moves to set up fire brigades in the north and other areas cleared of terrorism.

Unlike in the past, the population is more in the country with buildings with extensive structures and heights. The Fire Brigade has to respond to natural disasters such as floods, cyclones and forest fires. On and off, Colombo gets affected due to mini cyclones. Trees are fallen, roads are blocked with rain waters creating miserable conditions.We also took part in the tsunami relief work down South. Our machines were used to clean the wells in the tsunami hit areas.

Our men also assisted in clearing the highways and removing the debris of the buildings. Therefore, the Fire Brigade has to be well equipped to face the future challenges with modern facilities as the challenges in the world remain multifaceted.

Q: How do you expect the Fire Brigade to be modernised ?

A: Already measures have been initiated to modernise the brigade. A new four-storey building has now been put up at Roxy Garden, Wellawate. The training facilities for the Special Response Unit of the Fire Brigade will be conducted at this new building.

The Netherlands, Germany, USA and Japan along with Britain are supportive in training programmes and providing us with necessary machines and other essential equipment. We still keep up the brigade to British standards. For promotions in our brigade, our men should possess the qualification from the Institution of Fire Engineers-UK.Unlike in the past the country, specially the cities are booming with modern buildings of mega heights. Therefore, the Fire Brigade should also be promptly and properly equipped to overcome whatever the challenges.