Over 15,000 fire cases recorded in 2023, says BFP

Photo courtesy of BFP

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 15,679 fire cases have been recorded in the country from January 1 to December 26, 2023, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said on Tuesday.

According to BFP spokesperson Fire Supt. Annalee Atienza, the latest figure is 20.7% higher than the previous year’s total of 12,000.

“The majority of these fire incidents are residential, as this is the problem we observe because residential areas are not covered by the fire code where an annual fire safety inspection is conducted,” said Atienza.

Atienza said the three primary recorded causes of fires are electrical ignition resulting from arching, electrical ignition caused by a loose connection, and fires caused by smoking or a lit cigarette.

Meanwhile, 24 of these recorded cases were related to fireworks, with Atienza noting that no firework-caused fires have been recorded from December 24 to 26.

BFP on ‘Red Alert’

With the New Year revelry nearing, Atienza also said that the BFP is currently on “Code Red.”

“In the Code Red status, all of us [in the BFP] need to respond in case our services are required,” said Atienza. “No one is allowed to take leave during this time because the full force of the entire BFP is needed.”

Atienza also said that the BFP has begun spreading fire prevention awareness through roving units and firetruck visibility programs, as well as consistently conducting inspections on manufacturers and sellers of firecrackers.

The BFP has been in “code red” since December 23 and will continue until January 1.

But Atienza said that the code red status could be extended “depending on the situation.”

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