BY MA. THERESA LADIAO
ILOILO – A total of 1,840 fire incidents have been recorded across Western Visayas from January 1 to April 29 this year.
These fires killed 10 individuals and injured 39 others and left approximately P277,417,724.51 worth of damage to property, according to Chief Inspector Erwin Johannes Gimotea, chief of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Region 6’s Operations Division.
Gimotea added that most of the fires were categorized as non-structural (988), structural (617) and vehicular (46).
BFP-6 data further showed that Negros Occidental recorded the most number of fire incidents at 723, followed by Iloilo with 648.
Other incidents were logged in these provinces: Antique (179), Capiz (115), Guimaras (93), and Aklan (82).
Earlier in March, the BFP-6 had said that the region was witnessing an increase in fire incidents due to the ongoing El Niño phenomenon.
Senior Fire Officer 3 Romelo Aguilar, the acting municipal fire marshal at the Zarraga Fire Station, also reported that fires in Iloilo province have doubled in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year.
For his part, Iloilo provincial fire marshal Fire Superintendent Bartolome Beliran urged the public to adopt good housekeeping practices.
Beliran cited the importance of starting fire prevention at home through meticulous housekeeping.
Organizing items properly and disposing of waste correctly can prevent potential fire ignitions, he said.
He added that regular inspections of electrical appliances and wiring for damage or deterioration are also crucial to avoiding fires caused by electrical issues or short circuits./PN
