BFP-7: Cebu province, Cebu City top CV areas with high fire incidents in 2021

With rise in Cebu City fire cases, CCFO to public: Fire prevention is everybody's responsibility, do your part

By: Pegeen Maisie M. Sararaña - Multimedia Reporter - CDN Digital | March 01,2022 - 10:00 AM

Cebu province, Cebu City top CV list of areas with high fire incidents in 2021 - BFP-7

Hundreds of individuals of Barangay Tisa in Cebu City were left with no homes after a fire hit their area on Christmas Day, December 25. |CDN Digital photo (file photo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — As they supposedly would want to at least celebrate Christmas Day even after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette, around 300 residents of Sitio Mansanitas in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City, were with no clothes and essentials with them.

It was crueler than how Typhoon Odette affected them, this was how Lily Presbitero, 44, described her experience with the fire that transpired during Christmas Day, December 25, 2021, in their barangay.

This fire was just one of those reported in Cebu City in 2021.

Data from the Bureau of Fire Protection in Central Visayas (BFP-7) show that a total of 905 fire incidents were reported in the region in 2021.

This resulted in around P335,352,436 of total damage.

BFP-7 said most of the fire incidences in 2021 were reported in Cebu province followed by Cebu City.

And the most common causes were electrical ignition caused by loose connection, open flame from cooking, and electrical ignition caused by arcing.

This is the aftermath of the fire that hit a residential area in Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City, on Friday afternoon, February 25, 2021. | Paul Lauro (file photo)

Residents help fire officials put out a fire in Sitio Capaculan, Barangay Tisa, Cebu City on December 31, 2021. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa (file photo)

At least 27 homes were damaged in the fire that hit Sitio Ipil-Ipil in Barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City at dawn on December 27, 2021. | via Paul Lauro (file photo)

With the celebration of Fire Prevention Month, BFP-7 is again reminding Cebuanos to do their part as tips and reminders have been given since then.

Cebu City is the second with the most number of incidents in Central Visayas in 2021.

With this, Senior Fire Officer (SFO3) Wendell Villanueva, information officer of the Cebu City Fire Office, said that for this year’s observance of Fire Prevention Month, they further hope that the public would also involve themselves in ensuring that the tips and reminders of the fire department would be properly observed.

“(It’s) Sad to note nga naa gihapoy mga tawo nga reckless kaayo, negligent sa ilang part. Maong wa gihapon motuhop atoang pagbalikbalik nga panghimangno,” Villanueva said.

(It is sad to note that there are still people who are so reckless, negligent on their part. This is why they could not absorb and follow what has been repeatedly reminded about.)

“ It’s about time nga ang publiko mutaas ilang level of involvement ba. Dapat muhimo sa ilang share para makaexpect ta nga hapsay ta matog nga we live in a fire safe community,” he added.

(This is about time that the public will increase their level of involvement that they must also do their share for us to expect that we will sleep soundly and we live in a fire safe community.)

He said that their office and the government had been raising reminders for years already, and that fire incidents still kept on happening. The responsibility is not solely on the responders but also on those house owners, residents, among others.

“Fire prevention is everybody’s concern, it is a community affair. Kining usa ka responsibilidad sa tanan, di lang kay sa media, gobyerno, but pati sa publiko (This is a responsibility of everyone, not only with the media, government, but also with the public),” he said.

Villanueva shares some of the fire safety tips for the public to avoid in encountering these incidents.