The Bureau of Fire Protection – Davao Office on Thursday said it did not record any fire incidents on Christmas Day and New Year.
“So far sa pasko og New Year wala ta’y natala nga sunog, pero in between Christmas and New Year duna ta’y natala, kadtong December 27,” Fire Senior Inspector Richard Quiboquibo, Chief of the Fire Safety Enforcement Branch of the Bureau of Fire Protection XI, said in an interview with Davao Disaster Radio on Thursday.
He said that the cause of the fire, which razed two houses and damaged another two, is still being investigated.
Quiboquibo noted that when compared to 2023, more fire incidents took place in 2024 but the damage was less.
“When it comes sa estimated damage, ni-lesser siya kay ang mga tao kabalo napud unsa ang buhaton in case of fire. Basically naga-tawag sila sa 911, ug ang 911 mutawag direct sa station. (When it comes to the estimated damage, it was lesser because people already know what to do when there is fire),” he said, adding that sometimes, they had to declare a fire-out upon arrival because of the efforts of the people to put out the fire.
Quiboquibo said that they have a program, wherein they conduct house-to-house teaching of basic fire suppression, which has actually been used well by the communities because with this, some fires do not spread much.
Electrical problems remain the primary causes of fire incidents in communities. Smoking-related incidents also belong to the top five causes of fire.
Quiboquibo reminded Dabawenyos to unplug electrical devices when leaving the house; turn off LPG tanks after cooking, and those who are smoking must avoid flammable materials that easily catch fire. CIO
