CEBU CITY, Philippines—Fires are more likely to occur during El Niño, an official of the Bureau of Fire Protection in Central Visayas (BFP-7) warned.
Fire Superintendent Joel Abarquez, chief of the Regional Operations Division of the BFP-7, in a news forum on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, advised public to be extra cautious as they observed that fire incidents are during El Niño season.
El Niño is defined as an irregularly recurring flow of unusually warm surface waters from the Pacific Ocean toward and along the western coast of South America that prevents upwelling of nutrient-rich cold deep water and that disrupts typical regional and global weather patterns
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in July that the El Niño phenomenon is present in the tropical Pacific and will persist until the first quarter of 2024.
READ MORE: PAGASA: El Niño to intensify on last quarter of 2023
“There’s a significant rise of fire incidents considering nga init siya,” Abarquez said.
He added that with the increasing population in urban areas, it is most likely where fire incidents will happen due to human activity compared to rural areas with lesser population.
“Basta naa’y human activity within the community, there’s a possibility nga naa’y sunog.” he added.
Abarquez shared their preparations in line with the upcoming El Niño phenomenon.
He said BFP-7 has prioritized areas with scarce water access by conducting water rationing region-wide.
READ MORE: Handling El Niño, LGUs will be on the front line, says PDRRMO official
This effort is in coordination with the Barangays involved including the Local Government Unit (LGU).
The department said it is also intensifying “Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan,” where firemen visit communities to raise awareness and provide fire safety tips.
Meanwhile, in celebration of the BFP’s 32nd anniversary, it is conducting several programs nationwide.
The programs include simultaneous coastal clean-up drive, tree planting, feeding program, roadshow awareness, among others.
/bmjo