IN A span of three months, damages due to fire in Davao City increased to 91 percent, amounting P48,185,175 in the first quarter of 2017 from P25,194,900 in the same period this year.
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Davao Fire and Arson Investigator Senior Fire Officer 2 Ramil Gillado said they recorded 27 fire incidents with a total of P8,840,675 in damages in January, while in February, there were 27 reported cases with a total of P36,829,000.
In March, which marks the Fire Prevention Month, there were 32 fire cases with damages pegged at P2,515,500.
For the first quarter of 2017, the BFP recorded 86 fire incidents in Davao City.
Gillado said the increased amount of damages was due to the fire incident that torched several houses and business establishments last month along Lizada Street, Barangay 26-C, Davao City. It took firefighters three days to declare the fire out.
The fire engulfed three establishments. It had an estimated damage of P33 million.
Another incident that has largely contributed to the surge in amount of damages this year was the fire that gutted some properties inside Gaisano Capitol in Barangay Mintal. It had an estimated damage of P3 million.
Based on the data of the BFP-Davao City's Central Fire District, electrical-related fires topped the main causes of incidents including short circuit, overheating of electrical appliance, loose connection, and overloading due to octopus connection.
The BFP Davao urged the public to be alert and know how to suppress fire, as cases would be prevalent this summer.
Gillado also discouraged the residents from burning garbage or grass and refrain from throwing cigarettes as it might trigger grassfire.
He urged the public to check and maintain electrical wirings, as rodents and insects can damage the wires and will trigger sparks, and eventually fire.