Fire incidents increased by .84 percent in 2018

MANILA, Philippines — Fire incidents in the country increased this year, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said yesterday.

BFP records from Jan. 1 to Dec. 27 showed that a total of 14,316 fires occurred, 3,943 of which were recorded in Metro Manila.

The figure is .84 percent higher compared to the same period last year, according to BFP spokesperson Superintendent Joanne Vallejo.

For this month alone, the BFP recorded 425 fires.

The number of those killed in fires were recorded at 222, which is  25.25 percent lower compared to the figures last year.

The number of injured persons at 671 is down by 12.17 percent compared to 764 last year.

The BFP is on alert since Dec. 15 to prevent fires during the holidays. More than 25,000 fire officers and personnel and 2,804 fire trucks are on standby.

Vallejo said they inspected community fireworks display areas to ensure that safety measures are in place.

The BFP beefs up its personnel with the recruitment of 3,000 fire officers every year.