FOR everyone’s safety during the celebration of the Yuletide season, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Bacolod City has urged the public to only buy Christmas lights that are certified by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
City Fire Marshal Chief Inspector Rodel Legaspi on Thursday, December 2, 2021, said the public should be cautious with the kind of lights they are buying to prevent fire occurrence.
Legaspi said consumers should look for the import commodity clearance (ICC) stickers to ensure that the lights are not substandard.
He noted that in previous years, defective Christmas lights have triggered fire incidents.
On Wednesday evening, a fire razed a Christmas tree outside the house of Carmeli Bantug on Macopa Street, Barangay Villamonte in Bacolod City past 10 p.m.
Legaspi said the Bantug family put up a big Christmas tree outside their house, but because of heavy rains, the water possibly soaked the electrical connection.
No one was injured. The fire destroyed at least P5,000 worth of properties.
The BFP also urged the public to observe measures to prevent fire incidents by always checking the electrical connections before leaving their houses, and immediately unplugging an appliance if it emits smoke or an unusual smell.