Firemen step up inspections

MANILA, Philippines—After business establishments, fire safety officials will now focus on inspecting fire-prone residential areas.

Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) officer in charge Chief Supt. Samuel Perez has directed fire marshals nationwide to intensify residential inspections to identify, eliminate and abate fire hazards in the home.

Under BFP rules, the inspections should be coordinated with barangay officials and conducted with the homeowners’ consent.

“More often than not, many fire incidents occur in residential areas because of the presence of numerous fire hazards,” Perez said in a report to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

In the first two months of the year alone, 213 residential fires broke out in Metro Manila, according to the BFP-National Capital Region. The number is slightly lower than the 244 fire incidents reported in Metro Manila for the same period last year.

March is Fire Prevention Month but fires have been plaguing residential and commercial areas daily, the latest being the 24-hour fire at a mall in Caloocan City.

According to the BFP, fires in residential areas are usually caused by problems in electrical wiring such as overloading, overheating and use of jumpers.

Perez reminded the public to call the emergency hotline Patrol 117 or the nearest fire station in case of emergency.