The absence of the tradition of fire-fighting naturally led to a string of blazing disasters. Al-Ahram Weekly investigates Burning need Nader Habib realises just how near fire is to every unequipped house Fire in the old district! - What is this light flashing at the entrance of the building? It's shooting white sparks. - It might be the water motor catching fire. - Can you switch off the power supply? - No, the main switch is right above the motor. - The sparks are getting worse. I will switch off the water supply. - No, don't! It's dangerous. Best to call the Fire Department. - I can't remember the number! - You'll find it in the directory. Hurry up, it's getting worse. A moment later... - God help us. Quick, son, before we all burn. - I rang the fire department and gave them the address. I hope they come soon. The sparks are getting worse... - Can you fetch me a wooden stick to disconnect the main power switch? We have to do something until the fire engine comes. - You're right. The house is old and if it catches fire it will be a disaster for us and our neighbours. Half an hour later, a crowd had gathered in the street, trying to help extinguish the blaze... - Thank God, I managed to switch off the power. - And here comes the fire engine. - Just like the movies, the firemen arrived after it's all over. What you just read is not a film script. It is a scene I lived through as a child, in my grandmother's house in Shubra, a neighbourhood that dates back to Mohamed Ali's era in the early 19th century. My grandfather built a large residential block in the 1920s to house his extended family, as was the custom among the well-to-do at the time. People built their homes either with reinforced concrete, just as modern houses, or with thick stone walls and wooden beams. The latter type, for all its charm, is more vulnerable to fires and earth tremors. Bookshop owner Ingi Beshara lives in an old five-storey building, with four flats on every floor. She is concerned about the possibility of fire in old houses, especially those which are now inhabited by old people. Shubra is an old district, with old buildings and old people who have homes stacked with old belongings. Often, these belongings are fire hazards, she says. Because of rent control, Beshara adds landlords make little money from the flats. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, they rent the vacated flats for businesses that start using them for commercial purposes, but without taking any fire precautions. Some of the flats are used to store clothes. Workers go into the storerooms and smoke cigarettes, and sometimes shisha (water-pipe) near the fabrics. In the absence of fire extinguishers, accidents can happen. When Beshara was setting up her business, she had to seek permission from the Fire Department. The department required that fire precautions be taken, including large, accessible and visible fire extinguishers. She even practised putting out fires under the supervision of firemen before obtaining the licence to open her shop. Beshara says that even at home she follows certain safety measures, switching off the gas before travelling and being extra careful in the kitchen. She suggests that every household should have a fire extinguisher and a first-aid kit. "You have to spend money to save lives," she believes. She recounts a fire that she once witnessed in Shubra. "Fire erupted in a cosmetics storehouse. It was on a top floor, and the fire happened to break out on a windy day in mid-winter. The wind fanned the flames as the street below was jammed with cars. Finally, three fire engines arrived, two of which showed up with empty tanks. As the fire gathered momentum, perfume bottles started exploding, feeding the blaze. Much time was lost until the fire engines finally put out the fire," Beshara says. Victoria Fakhuri, an Egyptian living in Australia, wonders why Cairo can't have a system similar to the one in Australia. There, each building must have installed a fire alarm system that sets off if smoke is detected. Fire stations are also alerted and they arrive within minutes. In government and commercial buildings, fire drills are held periodically so that employees are trained to evacuate the building in an orderly manner. Fakhuri said, "everyone knows exactly what to do in the case of fire. There are designated individuals for contacting the Fire Department and evacuating the buildings. The firemen have fireproof outfits and all the equipment they need for their work. The traffic department should also be involved in fighting fires, mainly by diverting traffic from the vicinity and making it easier for the fire engines to function. When there is a fire, the gas and electricity department are alerted and they take whatever measures they deem necessary, including cutting off the supply of gas and power to the location." She added that we have to do more to maintain our residential buildings, especially those that are older. Rewiring electricity cables in old buildings can be helpful, as it would reduce the chances of short circuits. Mohamed Salah, an engineer, says fire hazards are at their worst at unplanned urban developments. Often, streets are too narrow for fire engines to drive through. He wants to see more safety precautions introduced in unplanned developments. Salah also notes that buildings that turn their garages into commercial outlets are making things worse. The public can help improve its own safety by alerting the municipal authorities to fire hazards. The Cairo governorate's website www.cairo.gov.eg has useful information about civil defence and fire precautions.
