EDITORIAL - It pays to be vigilant

It's March once again and Filipinos are again observing the Fire Prevention Month. But the first day of the observance across the country was greeted with deadly fire incidents. In Metro Manila, a young girl was killed in one of the three fire incidents that swept through the Capital last Friday.

Prior to the fire prevention observance, fire incidents occur almost every week across the country. In fact, at least 20 fire incidents had already hit the country since January, eating up millions worth of property and claiming a few lives.

In Cebu City alone last week, fire incident had been reported almost daily that rendered dozens of families homeless. The fires that struck barangays Capitol Site, Guadalupe and Bulacao have destroyed over a hundred homes. Before those incidents, a fire also struck a residential area along Gorordo Avenue just near the city police office.

Fire incidents cannot be prevented. They are bound to happen in any populated areas, especially in those thickly-inhabited places where people do not regard safety their foremost priority. They occur even in modern establishments that have the latest fire prevention measures.

It seems that the only way to prevent fire is to rush to it to immediately put it out the moment it strikes. But immediate response is never a guarantee in a country that has ill-equipped fire department.

Cebu City fire personnel have long admitted that they need brand new vests, hoses, fire trucks and other sophisticated equipment. They do not have modern ladder that would help them fight fires occurring in high-rise buildings, which are now sprouting across the city.

Given the state of the city's fire department, we can always help by being always aware against any occurrence of fire. Communities should learn the basic steps in fire prevention through participating in drills and seminars.

Fire prevention is observed only in March during the hot season. But daily vigilance really pays since a fire can occur at any time, even during stormy weather.