MANILA, Philippines — Fire incidents in the month of December have gone down by a third, according to the latest data of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
A total of 800 fire incidents have been recorded nationwide from Dec. 1 to 26 this year, compared to 1,204 fires in the same period last year.
Estimated damage to property has gone down by 77 percent to around P234.5 million from over P1 billion in 2023.
The number of casualties has also gone down to 29 in 2024 compared to 37 deaths last year.
There were also 60 civilians and seven BFP personnel injured.
A majority of the cases were deemed accidental while 386 fire cases remain under investigation.
Electrical ignition caused by arcing was the top cause of fire, followed by open flame cooking.
Meanwhile, there have been a total of 32 firecracker-related fire incidents since the start of the year.