The Bureau of Fire Protection says residential fires were up 20.7% in 2023. These fires are always very destructive, immolating whole neighborhoods and displacing hundreds of familes and thousands of people with a single spark. The BFP also says residential areas are not covered by the fire code which means no one is inspecting those areas to prevent these devestaing fires.
Therefore I have decided to document these fires monthly as reported in the news. Hopefully we can see some patterns and gain a greater understanding of this preventable problem.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/11/1-hurt-300-residents-displaced-in-pandacan-fire |
A 19-year-old boy was injured while 360 families or 1,118 individuals were rendered homeless by a fire that gutted at least 240 houses on Dapo Street, Pandacan, Manila on Thursday morning, Jan. 11.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) identified the victim as Prince Adrian Cayago, who sustained a laceration on top of his head.He was rushed to Ospital ng Maynila by the emergency team of Manila Fire District (MFD) and is currently under observation.The BFP said the fire was raised to the first alarm at 5:57 a.m. and to the second alarm at 5:59 a.m.
It escalated to the third alarm at 6:49 a.m. and to the fourth alarm at 6:57 a.m.Firefighters declared the blaze under control at 8:01 a.m.It was extinguished at 8:26 a.m.
Based on the initial investigation, the fire started on the second floor of a two-story house owned by Fernando "Boyet" Melgar.
The BFP said three barangays were affected by the fire. They were barangays 849, 850, 852.
It said 53 displaced families or 160 individuals were residing in Barangay 849, while 279 families or 874 individuals were in Barangay 850, and 28 families or 84 individuals in Barangay 852.
According to arson investigators, the residential blocks had adjacent houses made of light materials.
They said 80 of the 240 affected structures were fully gutted.
Around P2.6 million worth of property was damaged.
Firefighters said they had difficulty entering the area as the pathway leading to the burning houses was littered with debris.
Several cables were also scattered in the area after the electric poles caught fire.
They said that they also encountered problems with the water supply.
The affected families called on the Manila local government to help them recover and start anew as all of their properties were damaged.
Meanwhile, personnel of the Manila Department of Social Welfare arrived at the scene and started distributing hot meals to the fire victims.
Financial assistance from the city government will also be provided once the enlisting and verification process is finished, said the Manila Public Information Office.
The first fire of the year is quite stereotypical of all that will follow. The houses are all made of light, flammable materials, the walkways are narrow and blocked with debris, and in this case the responding firemen encountered problem with the water supply.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/17/50-families-affected-by-fire-in-alabang |
A fire hit a residential area in Barangay Alabang, Muntinlupa Wednesday night, Jan. 17, affecting about 50 families.
In a report by the Muntinlupa City Fire Station, the fire started at 7B Ilaya Street in Alabang at about 7:03 p.m.
Firefighters raised the first alarm at 7:10 p.m. followed by a second alarm at 7:25 p.m.
Investigators estimated that the fire caused damage amounting to P280,000. It affected 50 families or about 200 individuals.
Firefighters put the blaze under control at 8:47 p.m. before it was put out at 9:33 p.m. The origin and cause of the fire are under investigation.
A total of 28 firetrucks and five ambulances responded to the incident.
According to Mayor Ruffy Biazon said he ordered the Muntinlupa Social Services Department (SSD) to prepare food assistance for the fire victims.
Together with officials of Barangay Alabang, the city government has designated the Alabang Elementary School as evacuation center.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/17/article-1734 |
A total of 11 families or 46 individuals lost their homes in a fire that broke out in a residential area in Barangay Medicion II-B in Imus City on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
The blaze was reported at 2:40 p.m., Imus City Fire Station (FS) told the Manila Bulletin.
The fire was declared under control at 2:48 and was put out at 3:00 p.m.
Authorities have estimated the damage caused by the blaze at P175,000. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, meanwhile, said affected families are temporarily seeking shelter at Medicion II-B Barangay Hall.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1891142/16-families-left-homeless-after-fire-in-zamboanga-del-sur-town |
Sixteen families were left homeless as 11 houses were hit by fire around 3 p.m. on Wednesday in Tawagan Norte village, Labangan town in Zamboanga del Sur.
Tawagan Norte village chief Raul Rivera said that prior to the fire, the community experienced brownout.
“When the electricity was back, a wire sparked which they said was the cause of the fire,” Rivera said, citing the account of residents.
Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Marvin Julius Pagaduan confirmed that the fire was due to faulty electrical wiring.
Labangan Mayor Eduardo Relacion immediately distributed initial assistance of P10,000 per household, packed meals, rice, and potable water.
Rivera said he had also asked for additional assistance to the affected families from the Zamboanga del Sur provincial government.
Brownouts are a frequent nusiance in the Philippines. In this case after a brownout when the power was turend back on a wire sparked due to the surge of electircity. The two causes here are the faulty wiring and the brownout. Faulty wiring is a problem seen all throughout the Philippines with its leaning electric poles, dangling wires, frayed wires, and wires held together with tape rather than being properly capped.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/24/family-of-5-killed-in-albay-fire |
A family of five were killed in a fire that destroyed their house in Barangay Kilicao, Daraga, Albay, on Tuesday night, January 23.
Police Lt. Col. Malu Calubaquib, Police Regional Office-5 spokesperson, identified the victims as Moncris, 35, his live-in partner, Rosalie, 35, and their three minor children.
Arson investigators said the victims were trapped and failed to get out of their house built of light materials.
Moncris was jobless and Rosalie was a laundrywoman.
Arson probers have yet to determine the cause of the fire and damage to property.
Remains of the victims were taken to a funeral parlor in Daraga for proper disposition.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1894790/4-dead-1-hurt-in-lucena-city-fire |
Four people died in a fire early Friday that gutted at least 15 houses in a residential area in this city, police said.
In a spot report, Lucena City police identified the fatalities as Lolit Lubiano, 72; Juanito, Hernando, 65; Jay Mark Hernando, 18; and Mark Rainiel Hernando, 8.
Corporal Angel Micco Cabangon, the case investigator, did not provide details on the family relationship between the Hernandos except that they were all living together in one of the burned houses.
Another victim identified as Margarita Punzalan, suffered a second-degree burn and was rushed to the nearby hospital for treatment.
The blaze broke out at 3:45 a.m. in a residential area in Barangay 1 and was put out at 6:26 a.m.
Firemen were still conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
Mayor Mark Alcala and his father, Vice Mayor Roderick Alcala, immediately went to the area and met with the victims.
The local officials vowed to provide assistance to the victims.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/553592/8-fires-in-one-day-3-injured-including-firefighter |
Firefighters here responded to a total of eight fires on Sunday, January 28, that injured three people and gobbled up around P2.2 million in properties.
Of the eight fires that occurred last Sunday, three of these involved residential areas. The rest were rubbish or grass fires, the Cebu City Fire Office reported.
The first fire happened close to 6 a.m., along Cabajar Street in Brgy. Guadalupe, and burned down seven structures.
The flames, according to initial findings from fire investigators, originated from the house of a certain Maria Socorro Piloto.
At least 40 individuals were affected, and damage was pegged at P854,000.
Roughly three hours later, firefighters rushed to Lower Torre in Brgy. Inayawan to respond to another fire alarm, also involving residential buildings.
There, the flames, which started from the house belonging to Arcebio Beral, gutted a total of three structures, with properties worth P500,000 turned to ashes.
But just an hour after the fire in Brgy. Inayawan occurred, firefighters went to Brgy. Bacayan where another fire broke out.
The fire in Brgy. Bacayan, a mountain barangay in Cebu City’s northern district, razed six houses and damaged six more.
Three individuals, including a fire officer, also got injured during Sunday’s fire.
Fire Officer 1 Dave Arellano suffered first degree burns on his right hand while trying to douse the flames.
Two minors, ages 13 and 14 years old, also sustained burn wounds on their arms, legs and shoulders.
Senior Fire Officer 1 Emerson Arceo said the fire that hit Brgy. Bacayan started from the house of spouses Benjamin and Verlena Codeniera.
Investigations continue for all three fires as of this writing.
That is nine significant residential fires in January reported by the media. Cebu had three fires in one day!
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