12 Kolkata: The fire department conducted safety drills at two Kolkata markets a day after the fire at Queen's Mansion on Park Street. The drill at Bagree Market on Canning Street and E Mall on CR Avenue involved the lighting of a controlled fire. The in-house fire personnel were instructed to extinguish it under the supervision of the fire brigade.
Officials also conducted a brief workshop, educating shopkeepers and staff about how to respond to different types of fires, including those caused by electrical faults and flammable materials. "We conduct such drills at regular intervals. Such drills are not just precautionary. They are used to check the firefighting infrastructure of an establishment and detect loopholes. These drills help members of market committees stay prepared and can make a crucial difference in those first few minutes before the fire engines arrive," said a fire official.
Around 3 pm, fire officials reached Bagree Market, which saw a devastating fire in 2018, which raged for nearly 100 hours. "We overhauled our firefighting system after the blaze. Such drills are effective in testing our preparedness," said a member of the market committee.
Earlier in the day, a similar exercise was held at E Mall.
The drills are part of a broader fire safety campaign that the department has been rolling out across markets and commercial establishments. The fire department has also visited other busy markets as part of the campaign.