Last week in Berģi, Ropaži municipality, a fire occurred that became a real shock for one family, reports the Degpunktā program (TV3). It all started with an accident in the garage: the owners' son was repairing a scooter, and during the work, a spark ignited a flammable substance. The house was quickly engulfed in flames. When the rescuers arrived at the scene, there were difficulties in accurately determining the address, and later it turned out that the nearest hydrants were not functioning properly.
The fire in the "Jaunbitēni" house started on Friday evening, shortly after seven o'clock. Inside were the homeowner Oleg and his 14-year-old son. The boy was washing and repairing his scooter when a spark from the battery ignited the used cleaning agent.
The boy did not panic — he ran for his father, called the rescuers, and asked neighbors for help. Oleg tried to extinguish the flames with a fire extinguisher and pull the scooter out of the garage, but in the process, he injured his hand. Neighbors connected a garden hose, but the pressure was insufficient to stop the fire.
"Six fire trucks arrived because the nearest hydrant was 200 meters away. But even though it was new — there was no pressure in it," Oleg said.
"The firefighters did everything they could. But without water — there’s nothing you can do. You can’t extinguish a fire with sand. And the scariest thing is to see your house burning," said the homeowner Sandra.
In fact, hoses had to be stretched 400 meters. One of the hydrants near the house was completely inaccessible — it was buried under a pile of sand. The second was located further away, but its water output was insufficient.
In such cases, additional forces are usually called in or help is sought from other services. This time, the rescuers contacted "Rīgas ūdens" to try to increase the water pressure.
"Usually, myths spread that we can instantly raise or lower the pressure in the system," said "Rīgas ūdens" representative Sandris Vanzovičs. "In reality, this is impossible. Specifically, these two hydrants were checked at the end of last year. We check all hydrants at least once a year."
In the city, the water pressure in the pipes should be 2.6 bar. According to Vanzovičs, in Riga this pressure is maintained at 3.5–4 bar. In the case of these hydrants, according to their measurements, the water output was 5.11 and 6.28 liters per second — within the standards, but as practice shows, this was not enough.
It is possible that the reason was the long, 400-meter water pipeline, which caused the pressure to drop. There are 7606 hydrants installed in the vicinity of Riga, and representatives of "Rīgas ūdens" urge people to report if they see a hydrant buried or damaged. Before a crisis situation, no one usually thinks about such things, but in a fire, access to water is critically important.
Fortunately, the house in Jaunbitēni was insured, but Oleg's property, clothing, equipment, and work tools were completely destroyed. The family is now living in the part of the house that was not affected by fire and water. The main thing now is to restore the emotional state of the son, who is experiencing it the hardest.
"I want to say a huge thank you to our neighbors who, despite the downpour, carried building materials and worked hard. We are very grateful to them," Oleg said.
In the utility building, which was completely burned down, winter clothes, car tires, and most importantly — woodworking tools, which Oleg used to earn a living, were stored. Now he is left without work.
If you can help — donate or lend equipment, contact Oleg at 29552699.
Leave a comment