RESIDENTS of Pelaez Ext. in Barangay Sta. Cruz were roused from their sleep past 2 a.m. last Wednesday, March 6.

Fire had struck the neighborhood.

According to one report, six persons were trapped on the third floor of their building. Fortunately, they were all rescued and received immediate medical attention.

Pictures on Facebook showed the gutted house of one Jaime Salarda. The post didn’t say if the fire started there.

The fire was among the early incidents to be recorded in Metro Cebu this month, which, incidentally, is also Fire Prevention Month.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) last Tuesday, March 5, again urged the public to be extra careful.

March ushers in the summer months. That means soaring temperatures and days and sometimes weeks on end without precipitation that result in tinder-dry conditions that are conducive to a conflagration.

It was not yet determined what caused the Pelaez Ext. fire.

But in Central Visayas, fire officials say the top three causes are “electrical ignition because of loose connection, open flame from cooking (LPG/gas stove, firewood) and open flame from lighted candles.” Any of the three could be the culprit, although there have been cases when the fire was started deliberately.

The BFP 7 announced that it had been conducting house-to-house visitations to check the fire safety of every household since last month through its Oplan Pamayanan program.

Household surveys have started in Barangays Cogon, Suba, Tisa, Sambag II, T. Padilla, Hipodromo, Talamban, Camputhaw and Capitol Site.

Their aim is to determine the community’s fire protection plan.

Cebu City Fire Marshal Noel Nelson Ababon appealed to residents to participate in their programs and to welcome firefighters in their areas, saying it was for their own good.

One fire official asked the public to use their common sense and warned them against playing online games while cooking or charging their phones.

Either way, vigilance is the order of the day and the public should take heed.