FIRE incidents in Davao City increased by 37 percent, accumulating over P59 million cost of damages within the first six months of 2024, compared to the same period last year.
Senior Inspector Frances Marie Sendrijas, Davao City Fire District spokesperson, reported on Wednesday morning, June 19, 2024, during the Davao Peace and Security Press Corps at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, that a total of 481 fire incidents in the city were reported as of June 18, 2024.
Of the 481 incidents, 139 were residential, 43 were non-residential, 21 were transport, and 277 were non-structural, with a total of P59,996,100 cost of damages.
“If we compare it to the report as of last year June 2023, mas malaki pa rin po yung consolidated fire incidents natin right now (If we compare it to the report from last year, June 2023, our current number of consolidated fire incidents is still higher),” she added.
Sendrijas emphasized that the increase in fire incidents in the city is largely due to grass fires, especially from January to April.
“Nothing to worry about since mas marami po dito ‘yong non-structural natin, so when you say non-structural, more on grass fire, rubbish fire (Nothing to worry about, since most of these are non-structural fires. When we say non-structural, this means grass fires, rubbish fires),” she explained.
She also pointed out that the current number of 15 fire stations is insufficient for a city with 182 barangays. She mentioned that there is an ongoing request to the local government for additional fire stations, which has been met with a positive response.
One of the proposed locations for a new fire station is on the Ma-a bypass road, beside the police station. Charles Lj Sido, Silliman University Intern