By Gabriela Baron
The Bureau of Fire Protected (BFP) said the number of fires this year increased compared to 2018.
Latest BFP data revealed that there were 16,531 fires in the country from January 1 to December 11 compared to last year's 15,848.
The common causes of fires are faulty electrical connections and neglected open cooking stoves.
The BFP also asked the public to use torotot (plastic hornpipes) instead of fireworks to prevent fire.
"Sundin pa rin ang mga designated areas sa bawat komunidad kung saan maaari lamang gumamit ng mga fireworks display para makaiwas tayo sa sunog (Only light fireworks in designated areas to avoid fires.)," BFP Inspector Gabriel Solano was quoted in a report by ABS-CBN News.
The BFP added to make sure that appliances are not used too much and make sure that cooking stoves are properly closed to avoid leakage.