Bike fire Mishap in Nala Sopara offered several lessons to be learnt

A bike that caught fire in a busy street in Nala Sopara stirred a panic situation. People were shouting and trying to put out the fire. They got help from a water tanker and started pouring water on the bike. But someone shouted out to open the petrol tank which was a stupid suggestion and the moment it was done there was a blast in the tank and three people got their clothes on fire and suffered injuries. An autorickshaw also caught fire. This became a test case to study and understand.

The first lesson to learn is that water is not the best solution in an oil fire or an electrical fire. A fire extinguisher is the best answer and a blanket is a better idea than water. However, the water did have a limited positive role in that it cooled down the surroundings but that was about it. Another lesson to learn is not to offer advice on a subject so serious when you do not have knowledge on the subject.

The ideal solution would be to get a fire extinguisher from a nearby shop or store and douse the flames. Then there was the situation concerning the people whose clothes caught fire. In such a situation they should not have started to run. Running actually fanned the flames. The ideal answer would be the STOP, DROP and ROLL technique. In case clothes catch fire, one should stop, drop to the ground and roll on the floor while covering the face and vitals. The fire does not get air and gets extinguished and limits the damage. Here pouring water would be the ideal solution. The next obvious action would be to get medical attention.

This tragic incident taught us what to do and more importantly, what not to do in case of an electrical or oil fire.