THE Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Central Visayas recorded 1,893 fires that destroyed P257 million worth of properties in 2019.
This was an increase of 89.1 percent from 1,001 incidents recorded in 2018.
Also in 2019, the BFP 7 recorded 33 deaths and 95 wounded.
Before the observance of Fire Prevention Month in March this year, the BFP already registered 102 fires in January alone—Cebu, 61; Negros Oriental, 24; Bohol, 14; Lapu-Lapu City, five; and Siquijor, one.
In the last week of February, fire struck Barangays Suba and Duljo Fatima in Cebu City and Barangay Ibabao-Estancia in Mandaue City.
On Saturday, Feb. 29, 530 families, or 1,404 individuals, were displaced in the Ibabao-Estancia blaze, which occurred less than 24 hours from the fire that destroyed 15 houses in Duljo Fatima in Cebu City on Friday night, Feb. 28. Two days earlier, a fire destroyed a residential area in Suba, Cebu City, displacing 600 families.
Barangay Ibabao-Estancia officials placed Sitios Bayabas and Ternate under a state of calamity.
Barangay Captain Romulo Echavez Jr. said after fireout was declared, he called an emergency meeting so they could declare a state of calamity and use the P1 million calamity fund.
“I believe the City will allocate financial assistance for the survivors, but for the barangay, we can only provide meals,” Echavez said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
He requested the principals of the Ibabao-Estancia Elementary School and the Mandaue City Science High School to let survivors occupy some of their classrooms.
He also told SunStar Cebu that most of the survivors rented the lot where their houses stood.
On Monday, March 2, he said he will talk to lot owners if they will allow the survivors to return.
If they agree, Echavez said he will propose reblocking the area to provide road access in case of an emergency. If they won’t, he said he will advise survivors to look for another lot to rent.
According to the BFP 7, the common causes of fire were open flame, indiscriminate throwing of cigarette butts and loose electrical connection.
In 2019, Cebu had the most fires with 1,319 incidents; followed by Negros Oriental, 335; Bohol, 117; Lapu-Lapu City, 42; and Siquijor, 20.
According to BFP 7 records, 130 fires were caused by explosions of liquefied petroleum gas tanks or gas stoves, while 107 incidents were caused by overloaded power lines. (JCT / KFD)