More than 1K fires in Central Visayas in 2018

By Luel Galarpe/PNA

CEBU CITY — More than 1,000 fires broke out in Central Visayas from January to December last year, a Bureau of Fire Protection official said here Friday.

Supt. Ronaldo Orbeta, chief of the Regional Operations Division of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 7 (Central Visayas), told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that fire incidents in the region soared by more or less 62 percent in 2018.

Orbeta said only 622 fires occurred in 2017 but last year, BFP-7 tackled 1,005 incidents with an estimated damage cost of PHP1,137,807,291. The cost of the damage in 2017 was estimated at PHP100,043,725.

Records show that more than half of the fires last year occurred in Cebu with 550 incidents. Most notable and the biggest was the three-day fire that gutted the Metro Ayala Center Cebu on January 5, 2018.

Bohol had 232 fires in 2018, and Negros Oriental, 159 incidents. Siquijor and the Lapu-Lapu City Fire District last year had 35 and 29 incidents, respectively.

Orbeta said most of the 2018 fire incidents were accidental and caused by electrical misuse and unattended cooking stoves.

This year, the BFP-7 has already fought 295 fire incidents in the region – 107 in January and 188 last month.

Of the 295 incidents, 170 occurred in Cebu, 76 in Negros Oriental, 35 in Bohol, eight in the Lapu-Lapu Fire District, and six in Siquijor.

Meanwhile, BFP-7 opened the observance of Fire Prevention Month 2019 in Cebu with a Unity Parade and Motorcade of fire safety advocates, fire brigades, and volunteer organizations around the city on Friday morning.

Since fire prevention is the responsibility not just of the BFP but of all the people in the country, Orbeta said BFP-7

Director, Senior Supt. Gilbert Dolot, has ordered his men to intensify their fire safety campaign in the barangays.

“We will be conducting fire protection workshops and organize fire auxiliary groups in the barangays for the whole the month of March,” Orbeta said.

“In line with this year’s fire prevention month theme, we will also be distributing fire safety information materials in the barangays, churches, malls, schools, government offices, individual households, and other public gatherings,” he added.

The theme for the 2019 Fire Prevention Month is “Ligtas na Pilipinas Ating Kamtin, Bawat Pamilya ay Sanayin, Kaalaman sa Sunog ay Palawakin”.