Fire Services Dept urges people to prioritise safety amid winter risks

Srinagar, Jan 07: The Fire and Emergency Services Department has urged the public to ensure that all electrical heating devices are unplugged and that stoves, Bukharis and LPG cooking gas stoves are properly turned off before going to bed or leaving their homes.
This advisory, the department said, has been issued to safeguard the lives and properties of the general public.
The guidelines, aimed at ensuring vigilance during winter and implementing precautionary measures to avert fire incidents, are:
1. Always ensure that all electrical heating gadgets are unplugged and stoves, Bukharis and LPG cooking gas stoves are switched off properly before going to bed or leaving the home.
2. Use Kangris with utmost care. Keep Kangris in safe places during the night to avoid its toppling.
3. Avoid storage of dry grass, rejected wood, etc. in residential houses. Store this combustible material in isolated places away from residential houses.
4. Refrain from using faulty/substandard electrical appliances, high-wattage electrical room heaters, defective electrical blankets, etc., which can result in short circuits and ultimately lead to fire incidents.
5. Use good quality fuses of correct rating, miniature circuit breakers (MCBs), and earth leakage circuit breakers.
6. Keep the electric wire away from the hot and wet surfaces.
7. Stay in the kitchen while cooking. If you leave the kitchen even for a shorter period of time, turn off the stove.
8. Switch off the LPG cylinder and stove knob when not in use. Proper ventilation should be ensured while using LPG heaters.
9. Keep all escape routes and water access points clear, especially in residential and market areas.
10. Do not throw live cigarette butts carelessly.
11. In case of any fire incident, immediately call Fire & Emergency Services Toll-Free No. 101, Control Room Srinagar Nos. 0194-2452155, 2452222, Control Room Jammu Nos. 0191-2457705, 2435283 or the nearest fire station.
Meanwhile, the doctors from SKIMS Srinagar have advised people to take precautions given the increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, as such cases have seen a drastic rise, with many patients requiring emergency intervention at SKIMS Soura.
“In light of a concerning increase in cases of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning recently reported within our community, we urge all residents to take immediate precautions to protect themselves and their families,” reads an advisory issued by the Critical Care Department, SKIMS Soura.
The doctors said carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas that can be deadly if inhaled in large amounts. “The number of individuals treated for CO poisoning in our critical care units has risen drastically, with many patients requiring emergency intervention,” the advisory states.
In January 2025, a tragic fire incident claimed the lives of two young siblings in the Ferozpora area of Tangmarg in north Kashmir. The devastating event occurred when flames engulfed a residential tin shed owned by Mohammed Ashraf Dar.
In a separate incident on January 5, 2025, a family of five lost their lives due to suspected suffocation in the Pandrathan area of Srinagar.
In south Kashmir on January 05 this month, a 24-year-old man died while his mother is in critical condition following asphyxiation in Gudder village, Kulgam district. This marks the second such incident in the Kulgaam district within a week.
Similarly, on December 01, 2024, two minor children from the village of Mazhama in central Kashmir’s Budgam district were injured after an electrical switch plate was damaged due to a short circuit.