CLOSE to P300,000 worth of properties were damaged during an early morning fire, Tuesday, December 4 in Scout Barrio increasing the number of fire incidents in the city to 70 this year.
Fire Officer 2 Camilo Balancio of the Baguio City fire Department said the fire razed a one-story house with basement made of light materials which started at 8:30 a.m. and was declared fire out at 9:25 by fire fighters.
“Allegedly, it is suspected that possibly, the cause of the fire may have come from electrical connections but we are still awaiting for the result of the official investigation,” Balancio explained.
The Fire Protection Bureau have recorded a total of 14,000 fires which happened in 2017 nationwide, killing 304 civilians and destroying P7.8 billion worth of property with the top 3 reasons coming from faulty connections, lit cigarette butts, and open flames from unattended stoves.
“From what we saw when we responded to the fire, the structure was made of light materials. There was also the presence of many blankets, box cartons and other properties inside the said house which may have contributed to the fire which totally burned the structure except for the basement,” Balancio said.
Of the 70 fire incidents recorded in the city this year, majority of these were due to faulty electrical connections.
The BFP continues to remind residential owners to get the services of certified license electrical technicians to check their electrical lines to prevent the occurrence of a similar event in the future.