Koder House Fire Exposes Safety Gaps In Fort Kochi Heritage Hub

Large portions of Koder House, an 1808 building in Fort Kochi, have been gutted in a fire, pushing authorities and local stakeholders to reassess fire safety at the coastal town’s heritage properties.

Fire exposes safety gaps in a tourist hub

The blaze has raised safety concerns for the many heritage buildings in Fort Kochi, a busy tourist hub where older properties remain central to the area’s character and tourism economy.

The incident has also exposed alleged lapses in the firefighting mechanism in the area, prompting the Fire and Rescue Services department to initiate steps to strengthen safety infrastructure.

Fire and rescue services officials said the three-storey Koder House had fire extinguishers, but they were not enough to stop the flames from spreading.

Officials said strong coastal winds fuelled the fire, making the available firefighting equipment inadequate in the circumstances.

A fire officer involved in the investigation said the building did not require a no-objection certificate from the Fire department because it spans an area of less than 1,000 square metres.

The same officer said the incident had underlined the need for early warning systems such as smoke detection alarms and first-aid firefighting equipment, including hose reel drums, even in small properties.

Proposal planned for dedicated equipment

Ernakulam District Fire Officer Joji A.S. said the department would submit a proposal to the District Collector on the need to install dedicated firefighting equipment at strategic locations.

The proposed equipment includes water hydrants, which the department sees as necessary to help prevent such incidents in the future.

“The heritage value of the properties and the possible impact of such safety issues on tourism will be highlighted in the proposal,” Joji A.S. said.

The official response is significant because the fire has linked building-level preparedness with area-level infrastructure in Fort Kochi’s heritage zone.

The department’s planned proposal also reflects concerns that the safety of heritage properties is tied not only to preservation but also to the possible impact on tourism.

Narrow roads slowed access

Firefighters who took part in the rescue operation on Tuesday flagged traffic congestion and narrow roads as major difficulties.

They said these conditions made it hard for firetenders from other parts of the district to access the location.

An official said the situation was the same across the Fort Kochi and Mattancherry regions.

“The situation is same across Fort Kochi and Mattancherry regions. It highlights the need for strengthening in-house firefighting and early response systems, especially in heritage properties,” the official said.

The firefighters’ account shows why authorities are focusing on early response systems within properties rather than depending only on outside firetenders reaching congested localities quickly.

Nearby properties review safety

Operators of similar properties in the area said the fire had prompted them to relook at safety arrangements on their own premises.

The manager of a nearby hotel said extinguishers from hotels and shops nearby were used to douse the flames at Koder House.

“Extinguishers from hotels and shops nearby were used to douse the flames at Koder House, and we have refilled all of them without fail,” the manager said.

The manager said the hotel’s architect had visited the property and checked whether the fire had posed any threat to it.

“Our architect also visited our property and checked if the fire had posed any threat to it,” the manager said.

The manager added that the property had been advised to remain closed until the fire situation in Koder House was fully under control.

“We have been advised to stay closed until the fire situation in Koder House is fully under control,” the manager said.

Firefighters remain on premises

Firefighters have been deployed on the Koder House premises because of the possibility that heavy wooden materials that caught fire could ignite again.

The continued deployment points to the risk posed by combustible material inside such properties after the main blaze has been tackled.

K.J. Sohan, former Kochi Mayor and a prominent heritage conservationist, said the Kodor House fire should serve as a wake-up call for the region.

He said authorities should address gaps in safety measures after the incident.

“We were lucky because firetenders could access the building by road both from the front and back,” Sohan said.

He warned that the situation could be worse if a similar incident occurred in congested and busy places such as Jew Town.

“The situation could be worse if something happens in congested and busy places like Jew Town,” he said.

Sohan also said there was no dearth of water in the vicinity, but firefighters faced difficulty accessing it on Tuesday.

He called for the Mayor to convene a meeting of all stakeholders to discuss a strategy to ensure fire safety infrastructure around Fort Kochi’s heritage sites.

“The Mayor should convene a meeting of all stakeholders and discuss a strategy to ensure fire safety infrastructure around Fort Kochi’s heritage sites,” Sohan said.

Calls for water access and coordination

Fort Kochi division councillor Shiny Mathew said steps must be taken to ensure that water for firefighting is available on the premises of heritage properties.

She also demanded that a vehicle be made available at the fire and rescue training facility at Fort Kochi.

Mathew said the Mayor had promised to convene a meeting of stakeholders to discuss the matter immediately.

Former MLA Dominic Presentation, who visited Koder House on Tuesday, called for coordinated intervention by the Centre and the State to protect Fort Kochi’s heritage buildings.

His appeal included heritage buildings under private ownership, extending the discussion beyond publicly managed properties.

Together, the responses from fire officials, conservation voices, elected representatives and property operators show that the Koder House fire has become a wider test of Fort Kochi’s preparedness for protecting heritage buildings in a dense tourist area.

Source: The Hindu