Public enjoined to observe fire prevention measures

MANILA, Philippines — Fire prevention measures must be observed to address the increasing number of fires in the country, Sen. Cynthia Villar stressed on Tuesday.

“I believe that instead of depending on our firefighters to put off fires, everyone must be responsible to avoid causing fires,” Villar said in a statement on Tuesday.

Citing data from the Bureau of Fire Protection’s (BFP), Villar said there was a 25 percent increase in the number of fire incidents in the country in the first two months of 2024.

She added that the BFP has recorded 3,044 fire incidents from January 1 to March 1, marking a significant increase from the 2,424 fire incidents in the same period last year.

Villar also cited the common causes of fires in residential areas – defective electrical connections, unattended lighted candles, cigarette butts.

“So we are continuously reminding our people about the causes of fires and how to prevent them, particularly during this Fire Prevention Month,” she said.

Villar said that continuous efforts to “increase awareness and knowledge” of residents and communities in preventing fires, such as fire safety lectures and fire extinguishment drills, are being conducted.

“[We] intend to lower the number of fire incidents to guarantee the safety of our people,” Villar said.

This year’s theme for the celebration of the Fire Prevention Month is “Sa Pag-iwas sa Sunog, Hindi ka Nag-iisa.”  (Barbara Gutierrez, INQUIRER.net intern)