EDITORIAL - Deadly fires

On the first day of Fire Prevention Month, 13 houses in Cubao, Quezon City were destroyed in a pre-dawn fire. A few hours earlier, fire also broke out in a commercial building in the same city. It took longer to put out this blaze.

In Pasig City also last weekend, an estimated 1,000 families lost their homes in a fire. At least there were no fatalities; last Friday night, four siblings including a four-month-old baby died in a fire that destroyed their home in Marilao, Bulacan.

In the first two months of the year, nearly 2,200 fires were reported around the country. Fire officials said this was lower compared to the 3,800 recorded in the same period last year. But the figure can go up in this fire prevention month of March.

Every Fire Prevention Month, the government issues reminders to the public on multimedia platforms about ways of reducing the risk of fires. These include simple tips such as avoiding octopus-type electrical connections, unplugging appliances when not in use, and inspecting LPG tank hoses for leaks. Many of the reminders are ignored.

People generally inspect electrical wiring and connections only when repairing or remodeling homes and offices, or when something conks out. Compliance with fire safety rules in office and commercial buildings has improved over the years, but there are still too many old structures that flout safety requirements and are virtual tinderboxes especially in Metro Manila and other crowded urban centers.

Informal settlements are among the most vulnerable. A candle can spark a fire that can rapidly engulf shelters jerry-built from plywood and GI sheets. These shelters are typically reached only through passageways too narrow even for small fire trucks and difficult to reach on foot by firefighters.

Where there are wider roads, there can be a lack of fire trucks. A shortage of fire trucks persists, with the government still in the process of acquiring 469 units. The typical firefighter still lacks equipment to effectively put out fires and rescue trapped individuals. In observing Fire Prevention Month, the government should do more to address this inadequate capability to save lives and property.