Successive UP fires highlight campus' lack of fire measures –report

The University Student Council (USC) of the University of the Philippines Diliman released an incident report July 1 on Facebook regarding the fire that broke out in the campus’ Alumni Center just hours earlier. 

 

Citing a Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) official, the USC urged the UP administration to provide adequate measures against future fires. 

'Zero safety factor'

 

"This is second fire incident in the UP campus in one month after the destruction of CASAA last June 13. Mr. Fernandez said that at present, UP has zero safety factor in fire hazards having no fire truck and observing poor implementation of fire prevention and inspection," the report said.

 

Fernandez supposedly confirmed that the fire was caused by a short circuit due to faulty electrical wiring. Fernandez also pointed out that wiring should be replaced at least every 15 years to avoid fire hazards.

 

Also according to Fernandez, UP has no fire trucks and has poor implementation of fire prevention processes.

 

 

The barracks of the Alumni Center’s stay-in employees, the bowling center used in PE classes, and part of the canteen were damaged in the fire. The estimated cost of damages is PHP 200,000.

Arson ruled out
 

One of the duckpin setters, Eugenio Flosa, said that he was drinking with some other employees in their barracks when they heard an explosion from the ceiling. He also said that one of the guards on duty told him that he saw a man enter the Alumni Center through the back door and turn off the lights before the explosion. Fernandez, however, ruled out arson as the cause.

 

The fire started at around 11:30 PM on 30 June and was declared out at 12:36 a.m. of July 1.

 

This is the second fire-related incident within UP Diliman this month. On 13 June, the CASAA canteen went up in flames. The fire was supposedly caused by a leak in an LPG tank. — TJD, GMA News