RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Jan.28: Over half a dozen fire incidents due to electrical short circuits have engulfed a hospital, police station, steel factory, shopping complex and apartment in January alone.
Ironically, the Jharkhand government authorities, particularly the State fire department are yet to wake up to this problem which has devastated several lives. The latest fire tragedy in a Dhanbad hospital on wee hours today, which claimed five lives, including the Dr Vikas Hazara and his wife Prema Hazra, should wake up the authorities from deep slumber. But they appear to be least bothered.
Casual approach
This was reflected from the reply of ADG (home guard and fire services) Suman Gupta, who when contacted after great efforts, replied, “Local DC, SP se pooch lijiye.”
Though insiders said the reason behind the majority of fires in the state is short circuit.
“Though the department does not have any data compiled to study reasons behind the fire, as far as I know most of the fire takes place due to short circuits now-a-days,” an insider said.
“Even state fire office is not safe against short circuits. I remember that on May 22, 2020 a fire had broken out due to a short circuit on the second floor of the State Fire Office in Doranda,” the insider added.
A police official in Ranchi supported the fact saying during the last 30 days several incidents of fire due to short circuit had come to the fore.
“On January 2, a fire broke out in Usha Martin industrial campus in Tatisilwai due to a short circuit. They must have incurred a loss of Rs one crore in the incident. Prior to this, on December 29 a fierce fire broke out in Lalpur police station premises in the heart of Jharkhand capital. The incident took place in the evening when the fire somehow reached the petrol tank of seized vehicles kept in open. Several vehicles came under the influence of fire and became out of control. Petrol tank of the vehicle started getting blasted. After a probe it was found that the reason behind the initial fire was short circuit,” the official said.
An official at the Bariatu police station said that on January 19, a 19-yr-old youth was charred to death while another sustained severe burn injuries after fire broke out in the outhouse of Krishna Apartment situated under Bariatu police station area. After probing the reason behind the fire, a short circuit was found.
A lower Bazar police official said two incidents of fire took place in the months of January at GEL Church Complex and after a probe the reason behind the fire was found short circuit.
“Last year on March 22, important documents were charred as a fire broke out on the fifth floor of the Main branch of State Bank of India at Kutchery under Kotwali police station. That time also the reason behind the fire was a short circuit,” the official added.
Retired BSF personnel who remained associated with the bomb disposal squad and now work in the field of electricity said putting a check on short circuit is important as it can take place anywhere.
“A short circuit is an abnormal condition in an electrical circuit where the electrical current flows through an unintended, shorter pathway instead of following the circuit. It can be prevented and managed with planning and a healthy respect for electricity,” the BSF personnel said.
A senior official of the fire department supports the BSF personnel sharing how short circuits take place in the offices.
“Generally people forget to switch off MCB before leaving the office. Thus sometimes wires get over heated resulting in melting of the insulating cover. This causes a short circuit and short circuit causes fire,” the official said, adding “Durghatna ke teen gawahi Agyanta, Bhool Aur Laparwahi.”
What Is an Electrical Short Circuit?
A short circuit is an abnormal condition in an electrical circuit where the electrical current flows through an unintended, shorter pathway instead of following the circuit.
An electrical circuit is a circular flow of energy from a home’s electrical service panel and back again. This flow is continuous and unbroken. Items along the circuit such as outlets and lights only borrow from the circuit; they do not break the circuit.
Electricity likes to flow along the path of least resistance. Copper is used for electrical wires because it conducts so well, while materials like wood or fiber would be highly inefficient materials for wiring because they resist electricity. Even steel and iron are poor materials for wiring, though better than wood or fiber.
The long path for the energy to flow back to ground is on the circuit. But when a shorter path is provided, electricity naturally seeks this route—the path of least resistance. The electricity immediately changes its course to head to ground by this shorter, easier path.
What Causes Short Circuits
Short circuits can be caused by:
- Vermin or pests chewing through wires
- Water or other fluids coming into contact with electrical wiring
- Loose connections in an electrical box
- Old or damaged outlets, switches, lights, appliances, or other electrical devices
- Nails or screws piercing through walls and coming into contact with wires
- Deterioration of electrical cable sheathing
- Build-up or surges of electricity
SHORT CIRCUIT PROTECTION
In your home, circuit breakers, ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), and arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) prevent fire and electrical shock.
- Circuit breakers or fuses detect changes in electrical current flow, breaking the circuit connection when it detects an irregularity.
- Ground-fault circuit interrupters are also sensitive to changes in electrical current flow, automatically shutting off the current’s flow in case of fluctuations.
- Arc-fault circuit interrupters protect against arcs or jumping electrical currents that can cause a fire. They also shut the power off, anticipating an imminent short circuit.