The Fire and Rescue Services has issued an alert after four fire outbreaks in the past 3 months The reckless burning of solid wastes and garbage in public place is causing a fire-outbreak threat to commercial establishments and residential buildings in the city. The Fire and Rescue Services personnel had averted four major fire outbreaks in the past three months. The Fire and Rescue Services had issued an alert against the practice. It had been found that the burning would take place in the close vicinity of electric transformers and telephone lines. Fire mishaps had caused a loss of Rs.2 lakh in the past three months, sources in the Fire and Rescue Services said. The damage would have been more had these not been contained in time, they said. The indiscriminate burning of wastes had been causing air pollution. Plastic wastes created toxic gases on burning and garbage heaps could be found smouldering throughout the night. Many residents had complained of choking and nausea after inadvertently inhaling smoke emanating from such heaps. “Natural fire outbreak is possible, but, here the situation is different. People who burn garbage are well aware that it creates social nuisance,” a senior official with the Fire and Rescue Services said. Strict penal action would be the only way to refrain people refrain the act, he said. Last year, huge losses had been reported due to fire accidents caused from solid waste dumps. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd had lost optic fibre cables worth many lakhs in an incident reported in the city last year. Also, it interrupted telephone and internet services and the functioning of ATM machines. The fire accidents reported from the Nadakkavu and Tali temples had also caused heavy losses. A private telephone company incurred a loss of Rs.5 lakh when a fire spread from a burning heap of garbage. Some major optic fibre lines were also destroyed in the fire, sources said.