By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Bacolod City yesterday identified five areas in the city which are “fire prone” based on their latest findings.

BFP-Bacolod Fire Marshall, Fire Chief Inspector Rodel Legaspi, identified the five areas as puroks Magsungay and Sampaguita in Barangay Singcang-Airport, Purok Kahirup B in Barangay Mansilingan, Barangay 2, and Barangay Banago.

Legaspi added that based on their recent observations, the said areas are congested and most of the houses in the area are made of light materials.

Most of the fires that take place in the city usually happen in areas that are heavily populated, or located in urban centers, Legaspi said.

The most likely cause of fires are due to human negligence such as leaving unattended candles, electrical appliances, and cooking, as well as illegal tapping of electrical connection.

Despite the areas being declared as fire prone, Legaspi revealed that the number of fire incidents in the city had drastically decreased.

Data from the BFP-Bacolod showed that in 2020 they have only recorded 331 fire incidents, compared to the 505 they recorded in 2019, a reduction of 34.5 percent.

BFP-Bacolod City believes the reduction of fire incidents may have been attributed to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, wherein a majority of the populace are staying in their homes./DGB, WDJ