BY MA. THERESA LADIAO
ILOILO City – Nearly two months after a fire devastated a neighborhood in Barangay San Nicolas, La Paz district, the Bureau of Fire Protection’s (BFP) central office has released the result of its investigation.
The February 18, 2024 blaze that destroyed five homes/boardinghouses and partially damaged two others was determined to be electrical, stemming from “arcing” caused by normal wear and tear on one boardinghouse’s old electrical wiring.
Arcing is an electrical phenomenon that occurs when an electrical current flows through the air between two conductors that are separated by a gap. This typically happens when the insulation on electrical wiring becomes damaged or deteriorates, allowing the current to “jump” or “arc” across the gap.
According to a BFP source, arcing can generate a significant amount of heat and can be a major fire hazard because it can ignite combustible materials nearby.
In terms of electrical safety, arcing is particularly dangerous because it can happen suddenly and may not immediately trip circuit breakers or blow fuses, allowing the heat and potential for fire to build unnoticed, the source added.
To prevent such occurrences, the BFP emphasized the importance of regular maintenance and inspection of electrical systems in houses and buildings, among others.
In the Barangay San Nicolas fire, an emergency call was logged at exactly 4:11 p.m., according to the BFP, prompting an immediate response from local firefighting units.
Analyzing the fire patterns, BFP investigators identified the source in a vacant room on the second floor of a boardinghouse.
The total estimated damages amounted to P2,160,000.
Two boarders also died in the blaze –a college student and a call center employee./PN
