BAGUIO City Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. ordered the closure of four establishments along Magsaysay Avenue for violation of the Fire Safety Code.
The order was issued following recommendation of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), which recently found out that many of the establishments have defective, if not non-existent, fire exits and fire safety equipment.
The establishments issued closure orders are Baguio Country Sounds, Baguio Massage, Grande Island, and Double O.
The recent fire safety inspection conducted by the BFP showed these establishments to have defective fire exits for they lead to the rooftop instead of outside the building.
Easily flammable materials have likewise been found in some of these establishments.
The firms were ordered to comply within 15 days.
Meanwhile, City Fire Marshall Richard Villanueva asked the City Council to pass an ordinance geared towards minimizing the occurrence of fires.
The BFP earlier said the whole of Baguio is fire-prone.
“We cannot compromise safety. We are here to correct deficiencies and warn because we care for the people,” Villanueva said. (Rimaliza Opiña with Shiela Cabrera)