Also evident in all these incidents is the lack of fire fighting equipment by the Baguio Fire Station (BFS).
"Our experiences in fighting fires in Baguio, both in residential and commercial areas, have seen the inadequacy or inappropriateness of firefighting trucks and equipment," said Baguio Vice Mayor Daniel Fariñas.
"In particular, ladders used by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in dousing the fire in the February 16 University of Baguio (UB) and the April 2 Tiong San fires are not adequate to reach the top of high-rise buildings," Fariñas said.
The January residential fire along Ledesma Street in Aurora Hill also proved the lack of capacity of fire trucks to penetrate narrow alleys.
In addition, water delivery trucks have become an essential assistant of the BFS in dousing fires, to supplement the lack of water supply enough to put fires off at any given time.
Fariñas said this situation should serve as a wake-up call for the City Government to purchase additional equipment for the BFS.
He stressed that the upgrading of firefighting equipment could save more lives and property.
He is pushing for the approval of a proposed ordinance allotting P10 million for the purchase of additional fire trucks equipped with booms and ladders, hoses and hose extenders, and other apparatus appropriate for high-rise buildings, narrow streets and other situations characteristic of Baguio's terrain.
He also asked the BFS to submit to the City Council and other line agencies an inventory of the present number of fire trucks, equipment, as well as the number of additional trucks and equipment that needs to be procured.
