THE Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Davao capped off its observance of the Fire Prevention Month in March 2022 with only 53 reported fire incidents and zero casualties for the entire region.
BFP-Davao Public Information Service chief Fire Inspector Lei Anne Palermo told SunStar Davao in a phone interview on Tuesday, April 5, that this is lower compared to 93 for the entire March 2021.
Palermo said that from January to March this year, a total of 228 fire incidents were reported, with a total estimated damage cost of P16,984,600. This is a slight increase from 221 fire incidents reported in the same period last year.
The fire official said this might be attributed to the eased quarantine restrictions.
She said 41 percent of the reported fire incidents are in residential areas.
"This can also be attributed to the fact na medyo nag-ease na po ang restrictions natin sa Covid-19. Medyo nakakalabas na ang mga tao. Siguro hindi na nababantayan ang mga tahanan, compared to last year na medyo strict pa, mostly sa mga tao nasa bahay, kaya nababantayan (considering the Covid-19 restrictions had eased over the past months, and that more people are usually going out. They might not be able to monitor it, compared to last year, wherein going out was still strict, considering most people are within their homes that’s why they are able to monitor it)," Palermo said.
For the entire 2021, a total of 1,005 fire incidents were reported, with an estimated cost of P259,510,291. Seven casualties were reported.
Palermo attributed the decline of fire incidents in March this year to their effective campaign, considering that March has been reported to have an increasing number of fire incidents across the country during this particular period.
The BFP official said they had increased their fire prevention activities through the “Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan” activities on the road, wherein they conduct periodic roaming of their fire truck to remind the public on the fire safety basic tips.
She also said they conduct fire drills within barangays, and they facilitate the training of community fire auxiliary groups who will be responsible in responding to the fire incidents within barangays while BFP responders are still on the way to the fire location.
Palermo warned they are also seeing a possible increase of reported fire incidents during the summer season brought about the increasing temperature.
She said, though, that most cases are electrical-related incidents, which are still the top major cause of fire, followed by open flame, and improper disposal of cigarette butts.
She also urged households to regularly check the electrical connections within their homes for any faulty wiring, as these may also cause fire.