With the onset of summers, the national capital gets transformed into a virtual ``tinder box'' where even the slightest spark can set off a blaze, resulting in massive loss of life and property.

Figures speak for themselves. In the first half of 1997, the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received 5,853 fire calls. These fires claimed 248 lives and destroyed property worth Rs 18 crore.

It is noteworthy that with a population of 11 million and spread over 1,484 sq km, Delhi recorded a higher number of fires than other states with much larger population and area, says fire expert Amal K Chaudhary, who works as Senior Staff Officer in the Directorate General of Civil Defence (DGCD).

For instance, Maharashtra with a population of 78 million and spread over over 400,000 sq km recorded 2,075 fire calls, which resulted in 114 deaths and loss of property worth Rs 63 crore, in the first half of 1997.

However, Delhi Fire Service Chief S K Dheri says the maximum number of fires in the Capital are ``minor'' ones, which break out in the burgeoning jhuggi jhompri clusters that dot the city scape.

``The illegal tapping of electricity is a major cause of fire in the slums, in which the structures are made of highly combustible material like straw, thatch, polythene and plastic,'' he adds.

Chaudhury ascribes the large number of fires in the Capital to poor town planning and a large number of shanty clusters. He observes that Delhi is the only metropolis with overhead electric cables, which are loosely strung up. Even Calcutta, which is a 300-year-old city, has underground electricity cables. In Delhi, except for the VIP New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area, all other areas have overhanging cables.

These pose a major risk as people hook onto them for illegally tapping electricity. Even a single spark in the summer months can set off a fire. Also, the cables keep breaking and falling on houses and people, causing electrocution, he adds.

Apart from electrical short-circuits, kitchen mishaps involving LPG leakage and stove bursts are another major cause of fire, adds Chaudhary.

In an interesting observation, he says that people in Delhi have been found to be careless about the quality of the electrical appliances and fittings in their houses. The use of spurious brands is much more common in Delhi than other cities and the sub-standard nature of domestic appliances is a major fire hazard. Moreover, ``public awareness about fire safety is minimum,'' he adds.

Geographically also, the Capital is at a disadvantage with its hot and arid climate with low humidity levels most of the year. ``In summers, Delhi is virtually a tinder box where even low ignition temperatures are enough to cause fires,'' fire experts say.

The majority of the 1,200-odd high rise buildings in Delhi also are ``fire traps'' as only 527 of them have fire safety clearances. However, the inherent dangers that the city faces have not made the planners more cautious about chalking out the fire services. While developing new colonies, the deployment of fire service is not considered as an essential facility like electricity, water and sewerage. This is a big lacuna, says Chaudhury.

Traffic congestion, water scarcity and the lack of a ``watch and report facility'' are other factors which contribute to larger losses when fires break out. Similarly, little has been done in recent years to augment the DFS. As per an estimate drawn up in 1976, the Capital city should have had 63 fire stations. The number today stands at a woeful 34.

In fact, according to the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, not a single fire station has been commissioned after the DFS came under the control of the Delhi Government in November 1994.