Sometime in nineteen eighties we had a training exercise from Colombo fire brigade. It was scheduled around noon, so fire officers pile up some old tyres in a vacant area behind the main office, and set fire to it while explaining about fire. So within 15-20 minutes, old tyres engulfed in flames and make a huge fireball. All the office workers in high rise buildings around our office looking through their windows and baffled by this sudden fire. After explaining everything, a fire officer got a handheld fire extinguisher and try to put the fire out. This fire was set on asphalt (tar) surface, but it was soaked with oil, diesel, grease etc from the vehicle service area nearby. All of a sudden fire stats to shoot out from burning tyres and the surrounding asphalt and dirty surface caught fire. The fire officers only had one extinguisher, he was running around the fire like a headless chook, and try to put it out. All the participants including our new working director (he was a political appointment, and this training also his idea) are laughing at the fire officers. This was well before mobile phone era, so one fire officer ran in to the office and call the fire brigade for reinforcements. When the last puff of the extinguisher gone, our service station labourer said MAHATHTHAYALAA AYIN WENNA. And got the high pressure car wash and put the fire out within 5 minutes. Fire brigade guys pack their things and get in to their cab while we all boo

on them.