A fire that broke out at a junkyard under the Pulleppady Bridge on Sunday (April 26, 2026) has once again exposed the city’s vulnerability to fire danger as summer reaches its peak. Fire and Rescue Service officials have warned that a number of sites, including scrap yards, resource recovery facilities and informal rubbish dumps, remain high-risk zones across the city.
Meanwhile, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has initiated steps to formulate an action plan to prevent recurrence of such incidents. According to Fire and Rescue Service officials, the fire at Pulleppady intensified due to the presence of flammable materials, including discarded perfume bottles, highlighting the dangers of mis-sorting waste. “Even a small spark can start a big fire in such places. Junkyard owners must take repeated warnings seriously,” said a senior officer.
Authorities advised operators to maintain safe distances between different types of stored materials and to keep areas accessible to firefighting units. But officials said compliance remained poor, with many ignoring safety instructions.
Published – 26 April 2026 19:30 IST
