Time to break the circuit: Fires erupt as poor wiring, overburdened electric systems buckle

Increased load in summer poses additional problems.

PESHAWAR:

Increasing loads on shoddy electrical wiring have caused a rise in fire emergencies across the city, gutting homes and turning valuables to ashes.

An electrical fire caused by short circuits is among the most common electrical mishaps in the city. “Our reports prove the clear and exact cause of fire in shops and houses was short circuits,” Rescue 1122 Public Relation Officer Bilal Faizi told The Express Tribune.

A short circuit usually occurs when a wire’s insulation wears off and the charge flows along a path it was not intended for, causing an excessive electric current.

From January 1, 2013 to date, 82 major fire-related emergencies have taken place in the provincial capital due to short circuits. The biggest among them were the fires in Jhanda Bazar, Kala Mandi, Ali Public School, Nothia, and recently, the fire in United Plaza, Saddar.



To escape the heat, almost every house in the city has air conditioners or air coolers. This is in addition to the usual electric load of a household – irons, microwaves, dishwashers, deep freezers, computer devices and other electronic gadgets. However, while these increase in number, the internal wiring remains the same, overburdening the system.

Engineer Hasan Gul explains substandard or outdated electrical wiring not only impedes the efficacy and performance of appliances and gadgets, it could also result in accidental fires caused by short circuits.

Combine the increase in load with the substandard plastic-coated wiring, and therein lies a sure-fire recipe for disaster.

“Overloaded electric outlets and circuits generate heat which causes the internal wiring system to collapse with the potential of a fire igniting,” explained Gul. The use of an inappropriate fuse or no fuse is another common reason which causes short circuits.

Without load-appropriate circuit breakers or fuses that disconnect power when circuits become overloaded, there is little in place to prevent disasters.

The problems keep piling up as building inspections and safety regulations are almost non-existent in the provincial capital. Moreover, busy offices and shops tend to skimp on the necessary protocols and even use wires without fuses.

The inherent danger can be seen in the fires which erupted in Falak Sher Plaza on May 20, which injured six people, and in United Plaza the very next day.

In the summer, shopkeepers become even more reckless to keep profits steady as the heat repels customers. To get maximum mileage, more than a few shops often depend on one low-capacity back-up generator. This was one of the factors in the Falak Sher Plaza fire.

“We just finished extinguishing a fire in a house in Saddar. From the beginning of summer we are called on almost every day to put out fires,” shared Zainul Abideen, a firefighter at Rescue 1122. “We are on call day and night fighting fires in houses, shops and markets.”

Shopkeepers were eager to pass on the blame to building planners, “The internal wiring does not meet any acceptable standards even in larger shopping plazas,” complained Habibullah, a shop owner in Jhanda Bazaar, where several shops were gutted. When nothing is done to upgrade the system, there can only be more problems, pointed out the shopkeeper.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2013.