The Department of the Interior and Local Government today reported that the nationwide fire incidents went down by 12.10 percent or 3,058 incidents from January to April this year compared to the 3,479 figures for the same period last year.

While the nationwide fire incidents decreased, DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, citing reports submitted to him by the Bureau of Fire Protection, lamented that the estimated cost of damages based on submitted affidavit of loss rose by 18.24 percent or P1.09 billion from January to April of 2012 to PP922.2 million for same period in 2011.

“While fire incidents went down by more than 12 percent, it is sad to note that the amount of estimated cost of damage to properties had risen by P18.24 percent,” he said.

The DILG chief said majority of the fire incidents were accidental in nature, blamed mainly on faulty electrical connections and faulty appliances, spontaneous combustion, open flame due to unattended cooking stoves, unattended lighted cigarettes, among others.

“This year, out of the 3,233 fire incidents, 2,258 cases were determined to be accidental in nature. There were 76 cases of intentional fire; 125 cases of undetermined fire origin; and 775 cases that are still under investigation to determine cause of fire,” Robredo explained.

He said there was a 50 percent drop in arson cases, with 42 cases that BFP has filed in various courts in 2011 compared to only 21 cases filed in 2012.

Based on the BFP report, there were zero casualties but 26 were injured from among firemen responding to fire incidents this year, compared to 1 casualty and 19 injured in 2011.

There were 83 reported civilian fatalities and 230 injured civilians for the first four months of 2012, which is a 6.57 drop from the reported 97 civilian fatalities and 238 injured for the same period last year.

The BFP has also inspected a total of 400,811 various establishments in the country for the first four months of this year and has issued 380,180 Fire Safety Inspection Certificates (FSIC), many of them for business/permit to operate, and has generated P417.2 million for Fire Code fees.

“In the first four months of 2011, we were able to inspect 354,977 establishments. In the first four months of 2012, we inspected 400,811 establishments or a variance or increase of 12.91 percent,” BFP chief Samuel Perez said in his report to Robredo.

At present, the DILG and the BFP is addressing the problem of fire truck shortage, making efforts to provide some 666 out of more than 1,500 towns or localities which still have no firemen, fire trucks and other necessary firefighting equipment.

DILG Central News Archive DILG Regional News Archive