Public asked to help prevent fires

CEBU, Philippines —  The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has reiterated its warning to the public of the leading causes of fire now that the Fire Prevention Month kicks off today, March 1.

Senior fire officer (SFO) 1 Wendell Villanueva, chief public information officer, the Cebu City Fire Office (CCFO) recorded a total of 192 fire incidents last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic with an average number of 22.3 incidents in the first four months.

The estimated total damage was pegged at P40.59 million for the 192 fire incidents.

This is a notable decrease of 57.99 percent from 2019 with a total of 457 fire incidents with an estimated damage of P16.84.million.

This year, the fire station recorded a total of nine fire alarms with P339,000 estimated damage to properties, not to include the month of February.

Villanueva said most of the fire that broke out were in residential areas.

The station noted top three causes of fire incidents which include electrical ignition caused by arcing and overloading as well as matchsticks or lighters used by children while playing.

On the other hand, the Mandaue City Fire Station tallied at least 85 fire alarms last year, apart from those that are still under investigation.

SFO1 Jeric Alburo, chief administrator from the station, said they also noted nine fire alarms from January to February this year.

Alburo said they could not yet disclose the number of fire alarms that are still under investigation as well as the estimated damage of properties. However, he said most of the incidents were also in residential areas commonly caused by misused of electrical appliances.

As of this writing, both stations in Metro Cebu are still consolidating their data as to the number of fatalities and injured individuals from the said period, while CCFO is also consolidating its overall data from the month of February.

Since most of the fire incidents recorded from the said period were in residential areas, Alburo reminded the public on how to prevent this from occurring.

"Turn off unused electrical appliances. Be mindful of the gadgets being charged, do not leave it unattended. Observe proper housekeeping, and throw your trash regularly and properly. Always check your electrical lines from a registered electrician, report if there is unusual/damage. Practice fire exit drills in your home with family members. Have a fire extinguisher ready in case there is a fire, and learn how to use it," he said.

In observance of the Fire Prevention Month, CCFO is set to kick off today its month-long activities in line with the theme, "Sa Pag-Iwas sa Sunog Hindi ka Nag-iisa”.

Right after the mass, there will be a simultaneous sounding of sirens in all fire sub-stations in the city, which will be followed by Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan wherein fire seminars and drills will be conducted in the barangays.

A motorcade, which will start at SM Seaside, will follow and a kickoff program at SM City Cebu.

Though CCFO have at least 180 firefighting personnel, Villanueva said they often experienced shortage of manpower.

"As always, the shortage of manpower and the very limited firefighting equipment are usually the problems we encountered. However, we always look for ways and means to combat these problems. It is a matter of putting up a good strategy in combatting fire using our limited resources," he said.

CCFO has at least 10 fire trucks, two aerial ladders that can reach up to 40 meters, one lighting tower, and two ambulances.

Villanueva added that their foremost problems encountered during firefighting operations are the crowd control and health issues, specifically in appealing to the public to distance themselves to avoid possible transmission of the virus.

"Fire prevention is not the sole responsibility of your firefighters. Let me emphasize that we need your active participation and involvement in order for us to have a fire safe community," said Villanueva. — KQD (FREEMAN)