The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) cautioned residents here on Monday against the potential spike of fire incidents in the coming summer season.
Fire Chief Insp. Anamie Legaste, BFP fire marshal here, urged residents to be “extra careful and vigilant” as the dry weather could trigger major structural and grass fires as experienced in the city in the previous years.
Legaste issued the call as BFP personnel launched a series of awareness activities in local communities due to the observance of the Fire Prevention Month, anchored on the theme: “Matuto ka. Sunog ay iwasan na”.
“We are calling on our residents to be more responsible to prevent these fires from happening,” she told reporters.
Legaste enumerated several prevention measures such as the regular checkup and repair of possible faulty household electrical connections, which has been the top cause of structural fires in the area.
She also warned residents against the throwing of cigarette butts and the burning of wastes near the grassy areas.
Last year, the BFP recorded a total of 124 fire incidents in the city that left over PHP2 billion in damage.
The bulk of the damage was recorded from the burning of the Gaisano Mall here following a strong earthquake on Oct. 16, 2019.
A total of 65 incidents were listed as structural, 16 as vehicular, and 43 grass fires. At least 64 of the structural fires were caused by a faulty electrical connection.
In line with the start of the Fire Prevention Month, BFP and concerned stakeholders here staged a motorcade around the city on Sunday to drumbeat support for the agency’s lined up campaigns.
The BFP also unveiled and held the “blessing” of the new tanker truck or water tender of its main station here.
The tanker truck, codenamed “General,” was one of the three firefighting vehicles that were delivered last month to Region 12 or Soccsksargen by the BFP central office as part of its modernization program.
The city fire station currently has five fire/tender trucks and one each in its sub-stations in Barangays San Isidro and Calumpang. (PNA)
