More fires this year: BFP

By Funny Pearl A. Gajunera
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 11 recorded a higher number of fire incidents in Region 11 in the month of March this year than during the same period last year.
The agency recorded 117 cases for March this year, higher than the 110 cases last year. March, which is the start of the dry season, is marked as the national fire prevention month in the country.
BFP 11 Assistant Director for Operation Fire Superintendent Sydney Besana said 55 of the 117 cases were grass fires while 29 were residential.
“Most cases of residential fires were caused by electrical short circuit. Last year it was also the main cause of fires,” he said.
Of the 117 cases in the region, 55 were in Davao City, 20 were in Davao del Sur, 31 in Davao del Norte, 8 in Davao Oriental, and 3 in Compostela Valley Province.
The amount of damaged totaled to P20,169,700 based on the submitted affidavits of loss by the fire victims.
Besana said buying new appliances will not necessarily help decrease fire incidents since it is the wiring inside the house that should also be checked to prevent electrical short circuits.
Meanwhile, Besana said there are still 11 municipalities in the region that do not have fire stations. These are San Isidro and Aurelio E. Dujali in Davao del Norte; Mawab in Compostela Valley Province; Boston, Caraga, and Tarragona in Davao Oriental; and Malalag, Sta. Maria, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos, and Sarangani Island in Davao del Sur.
Fire Officer 1 Victor Guerrero, public information officer (PIO) for Fire Safety Enforcement Branch of BFP 11, said the BFP assigned a central fire station for the municipalities without a fire station.
“May Central Fire Station na naka assign sa bawat municipality na walang fire station, mga 15 to 20 kilometers away yung mga central fire station, gaya sa San Isidro (Davao del Norte) sakop na yun ng (Municipality of) Asuncion,” Guerrero said.
The national office of the BFP, for its part, purchased 486 fire trucks this year that will be distributed all over the country. Besana said he hopes the 11 municipalities without fire stations in Davao Region will each be allocated a truck.