BFP on red alert until New Year

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has placed the country under code red from December 23 to January 1 in preparation for any fire incidents that may occur leading up to the New Year.

In a public briefing on Tuesday, BFP Spokesperson Fire Support Annalee Atienza said a total of 15,679 fires have been recorded since January 1 to December 26 in 2023—  a 20.7% increase from the same time period in 2022 where there were 12,000 plus fires.

“Majority po nitong mga sunog na ito ay residential. This year, January 1 to December 26, nagkaroon na po tayo ng 24 fire incidents related to firecrackers. Kumpara po nung nakaraang taon, January 1 to December 26 of 2022, that’s around 28 naman po ang ating naitala,” said Atienza.

(The majority of these fires are residential. This year, January 1 to December 26, we have already had 24 fire incidents related to firecrackers. Compared to last year, January 1 to December 26 of 2022, 28 incidents were recorded.)

For this holiday season, the BFP said it is conducting roving operations, fire truck visibility and inspections of firecracker manufacturers and sellers to remind the public of the dangers of fire incidents during New Year festivities.

“Ang red alert status ng BFP [ay] kung saan po lahat po tayo po ay kailangan rumesponde in case na kailanganin po ang ating serbisyo. Wala pong allowed na naka-leave ngayong panahon na ito dahil nga po kailangan na full force at ating buong pwersa ng BFP,” Atienza said.

(The red alert status means all BFP personnel are on standby to respond in case we are needed for emergencies. No leaves are allowed during this time because the BFP needs to be at full strength during this period.)

“Ang pinaiigting po natin ang fire truck visibility kung saan nagkakaroon po tayo ng public address, nagbabandilyo po ika pa nga. Araw araw po ang ating tropa nagpapaalala, especially sa mata-taong lugar. Nandiyan din po yung mga terminals so yung mga presence po ng ating mga men in uniform [are felt],” she added.

(We are focusing on fire truck visibility where we have a public address system delivering announcements. Our firemen are constantly reminding the public everyday, especially in crowded areas. Our uniformed personnel are also present in the terminals so we are visible.) 

Atienza added that the BFP is now present on all social media platforms for easier contact and information dissemination.

Meanwhile, BFP data showed that the top causes of fire incidents are electrical malfunction due to arching or an electrical ignition caused a loose connection and unattended lighted cigarettes from smokers.

“[Habang] lumalago ang ating household, kadalasan po ay na-ooverlook yung ating linya ng mga kuryente kung tama pa ba, kung angkop pa ba yung ating supply or yung capacity ng ating kuryente. Dahil diyan, yun po ang naitala nating major cause [ng sunog], eto po yung electrical ignition,” Atienza said.

([As] our household grows, we often overlook if our electricity lines are still in good condition, or if our supply or capacity is adequate. Due to this, we have observed that a major cause [of fires], is electrical ignition.)

The BFP said that from December 24 to 26, there were no recorded fire incidents due to firecrackers.—RF, GMA Integrated News