Bacolod City: Fire incidents in this highly urbanized city have decreased by 160 percent in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2024.
According to Philippines News Agency, data from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) on Thursday showed that from January to March this year, only 42 fires were reported, compared to the 109 reported in the previous year. Damage due to fires was also lower in the first quarter of 2025, amounting to only PHP1.685 million compared to the previous year's PHP22.852 million.
Fire Officer 2 Paul Servano, public information chief of Bacolod City Fire Station, attributed the increase in fires in early 2024 to extremely hot weather conditions. He noted that the El Ni±o phenomenon contributed significantly to the high number of fire incidents during that period.
In contrast, Servano explained that improved weather conditions in the first quarter of this year, along with increased awareness of fire prevention among residents in fire-prone areas, resulted in fewer fire incidents. The Red Zone campaign by BFP-Bacolod played a crucial role in this achievement by conducting house-to-house surveys and providing fire safety lectures and demonstrations in all 284 listed areas.
