Bacolod identifies 195 ‘red zones’ after fires hit 94 houses last week

INQUIRE FILE PHOTO

BACOLOD CITY — Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez is forming a task force to implement safety measures in at least 195 “red zones” in this city to prevent fires from breaking out.

Benitez met with representatives of various city departments and government agencies on Monday, Aug. 5, to discuss preventive measures after fires hit 94 houses in Purok Kagaykay in Barangay 2 and Purok Kingfisher in Barangay 16 last week.

“They (Bacolod Fire Department) have identified 195 red zones but are still counting. The estimate will be over 200 red zones that will be given priority to ensure the implementation of safety measures,” he said.

Red zones are mostly occupied by informal settlers where safety standards have not been followed.

Benitez said these are areas where houses are made of light materials and the required distance between structures is not complied with.

The building code requires a minimum distance of two meters from each house.

Among the red zone problems are narrow pathways that make it difficult for firefighters to put out fires immediately.

READ: Fire hits 81 Bacolod houses due to improvised mosquito repellant

Benitez said Councilor Psyche Marie Sy, who heads the city council committee on fire, social defense, and natural disaster, would lead in identifying the red zones.

The mayor said one of the difficulties in implementing safety measures is land ownership.

He said they would talk to the landowners to see if they would agree with the city plan to implement some safety measures.

Purok Kingfisher president Alejandro Tiad, 49, died from severe burns on Sunday after he returned to his burning home.

Benitez said assistance would be provided to the Tiad family.

Sy said it was agreed at the meeting that the city government would provide the fire department with mobile phones to serve as hotlines for fire calls and place fire extinguishers in red zones to aid in extinguising fires before firefighters arrive.