WHEN THE Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) announced that 74 barangays in Iloilo City are now classified as high-risk, it should have jolted us more than the ceremonial sirens that echoed across the streets at the opening of Fire Prevention Month. Seventy-four red zones are a flashing warning light over nearly half of the city’s communities.
March has long been branded as Fire Prevention Month under Presidential Proclamation No. 115. Every year, we hear the same reminders: unplug appliances, avoid overloaded outlets, clear exits, prepare evacuation plans. Every year we see motorcades, tarpaulins, and school contests. And every year, when April arrives, the urgency fades.
But this year’s figure forces an uncomfortable question: Why are we still this vulnerable?
If 74 barangays are tagged high-risk, that is not merely a seasonal concern linked to extreme heat or dry weather. That is a structural problem. It suggests deeper issues — aging electrical systems, congested communities, narrow roads that choke fire trucks, sagging overhead cables, and lax enforcement of safety standards.
Fire Superintendent Melanie Habawel is correct in stressing shared responsibility. Households must be vigilant. Families must practice safety. But shared responsibility also means shared accountability. Where does the responsibility of local government begin and end? What about enforcement of building codes? Regulation of substandard electrical installations? Clearing of illegal obstructions that block emergency access?
Fire prevention cannot be reduced to household discipline alone. Governance plays a decisive role.
Electrical faults remain one of the primary causes of residential fires. Yet how many homes undergo routine inspection? Are barangays actively monitoring overloaded connections? Or do we wait for tragedy before conducting post-fire assessments?
The classification into red, orange, and yellow zones is a good start. But labeling alone does not extinguish risk. What concrete interventions accompany the “red” tag? Are high-risk barangays required to submit mitigation plans? Are drills mandatory? Are community fire brigades adequately equipped and insured?
The presence of volunteer federations ready to respond during “challenge scenarios” is commendable. But reliance on reinforcement should not compensate for systemic weaknesses. Fire trucks delayed by narrow roads or tangled wires cannot perform miracles.
And let us not ignore the socio-economic dimension. High-risk zones often overlap with densely populated communities where housing materials are highly combustible and electrical wiring is improvised. Fire risk, in many cases, mirrors poverty. Prevention, therefore, must include long-term solutions — urban planning reforms, housing upgrades, and stricter compliance measures.
The sirens have sounded. The red flags are raised. Will authorities act beyond the ceremony — or wait for the next blaze to be reminded why 74 is not just a number, but a warning that should not be ignored?
