Fire damages up

By Jeehan V. Fernandez

More worth of assets had turned into “ashes” as the estimated damages caused by fire in the region went up by 24.08 percent.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP-6) report showed that fire incidents' estimated damages reached P211 ,436,470 in 2004 as compared to the P173,628,277.31 recorded in 2003.

The data bared that fire occurrences due to fireworks, flammable liquids and open flames have doubled. Conflagrations originated from electrical trouble also increased by almost 25 percent.

In last year though, Western Visayas had been struck by lesser number of incidents totaling to around 1,069 as compared to 1,090 in the previous year. However, fires hit on structures and vehicles/ships increased by more than 50 percent.

The blazes that happened in different parts of the region also claimed the lives of 12 people and injured nine firefighters and 52 civilians last year.

As the summer season starts, the BFP is urging the public to take precautionary measures to prevent fire. The hot period makes combustible materials to dry up, thus vulnerable to fire.

BFP-6 public information officer Insp. Arnold Alba stressed the agency did not lack the information dissemination campaign on fire prevention as they regularly conduct “tracking” in the communities.  

Although Alba pointed out that the fire bureau's delivery of services largely depend on their equipment, the personnel's efforts in responding to fire disasters are assured .