Hanoi (VNA) - The network ofdeep, tiny alleys running side by side are part of the mysterious beauty of oldHanoi, but they also pose a death trap for those in flats and houses along themwhen fire breaks out.

The cobweb alleys, many of which are barelyenough for two people to pass side-on, are impossible to reach in an ordinaryfire truck.

Then a simple solution - fire motorbikes hascome. A fire motorbike would look similar to regular motorbikes apart fromtwo large bags on either side carrying fire extinguishers and tools, and ofcourse, a rider in a firefighter uniform.

“It is an effective firefighting solution forsmall alleys and streets,” Colonel Nguyen Van Thang, deputy chief of the cityFirefighter Police Division No 8 in Hai Ba Trung district, told the Kinh Te& Do Thi (Economy and Urban Affairs) newspaper.

“Fire motorbikes can even take shortcuts througheven smaller alleys to reach a fire faster. The bikes are equipped with pump,extinguisher, breaking tools and even respirator masks for residents trappedinside a house,” Thang added.

The most recent fatal blaze in a Hanoi alleyoccurred last September, when flames burned down a seven square metre house onHang Giay street, killing two people trapped inside. Firefighters struggled toapproach the house. Those trapped inside could not escape from the "ironcage" extension they had fled into because it blocked the exit on therooftop.

Such incidents are not rare inHanoi. Statistics by fire police estimate that central Hoan Kiem district– where the touristy Old Quarter is located - has up to 1,700 alleys and 30small streets unreachable by fire trucks. Most of the houses are seriouslydowngraded a few have emergency exits. This is made worse by the dangerouslyinterlaced power lines hanging everywhere. A police report states thatfire trucks cannot drive into 1,200 streets and have no hope of getting intothousands of small alleys.

The difficult urban structure prompted thefirefighters to find a new way to deal with the issue. The idea of firemotorbikes was brought out and piloted late last year at three firefighterdivisions covering the districts of Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Dong Da and HoangMai.

Having used a fire motorbike to reach a coupleof alley fires in Dong Da district, firefighter Nguyen Van Kien of theFirefighter Police Division No 2 told  An Ninh Thu Do (Capital’s Security)newspaper that it had proved it was feasible by reducing the time to reach afire.

The extinguishers used by motorbike firefighterscontain only 10 litres of water, but Kien said they could be connected tohousehold valves for direct water supplies.

Fire motorbikes were much more effective thanordinary fire trucks in alley-filled areas, sub-lieutenant Ta Tuong Truong fromthe Firefighter Police Division No 8 said, but residents were yet familiar withthem and sometimes refused to make way for the rescuers.-VNA