Sunday, March 02, 2008 (Philippines)

SMOKING. With a drill, the Cebu City Fire Station joins opening day activities for Fire Prevention Month. (Sun.Star Photo/Allan Defensor) AT LEAST 141 more fires broke out in Central Visayas last year than in 2006, records at the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) show. The comparative report of the BFP 7, however, indicated that damage to property was much higher in 2006. That year, P129,583,567 worth of property was gobbled up by fire, while in 2007 the fire department recorded P116,075,260 in damage. Electrical misuse was the most common cause behind the 643 fires that hit the region last year. [full story]