A Fiery Tale And More

The word fire brings to mind the tragic end of a celebratory function in the quiet town of Jamshedpur in the year 1989.

March 3rd is the birthday of the founder of Jamshedpur, Sir Jamshedji Tata. 1989 was particularly significant because it happened to be the 150^th birthday anniversary of the industrialist. The management of the Tata Iron and Steel Company arranged a grand celebration. Nobody ever imagined that such a tragedy would unfold.

The fire ignited as a small spark on the roof of the gallery of the VIP enclosure, which was noticed only after it had spread to a cloth and bamboo structure. Attendees were instructed not to panic but to remain calm and seated. However, as the cloth and bamboo structure began to burn and collapse, approximately 200 were trapped. A stampede ensued and 50 people lost their lives. The tragedy led to the establishment of a burn care unit at the Tata Main Hospital.

Amid the chaos, there were acts of heroism, tragic deaths, and providential escapes. I was then teaching grade 3 and was devastated by the death of one of my students in the fire. All celebrations were cancelled that year, and the day has gone down as one of the darkest days in the history of the Tata Iron and Steel Company.

 

Some Facts about Fire:

 

Fire burns only on earth.

This is because the other planets don’t have sufficient oxygen to support the burning of a flame.

 

Fire can double every 30-60 seconds.

It takes only ½ minute for a fire to grow.

 

Smoke inhalation can kill before flames

A person can succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning even before being burned.

Fire changes colour according to oxygen levels

A blue flame means plenty of oxygen, while a yellow one means low oxygen supply.

 

Gravity affects fire

Combustion gases rise and as flames move upwards, they take in more oxygen making them stronger.

 

The Olympic flame was ignited using sunlight

Ancient Greeks used concentrated sunlight to start the Olympic flame. 

Image Credit: Pixabay

This post is part of the weekly Blogchatter Bloghop challenge.