The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said it has recorded 18,217 fire incidents from January 1 to December 30.
In the 2024 recapitulation of fire incidents, the BFP said this marked an 11.2-percent increase than the 16,387 fire occurrences in 2023.
The fire bureau also noted that this year's fire incidents resulted to damage to property amounting to P13,828,182,898.55, which is higher by 5.1 percent than last year’s record of P13,151,733,240.98.
The number of civilian fatalities in the fire incidents rose by 5.8 percent to 338 in 2024 compared from 320 last year; while 1,332 civilians were injured this year, up from 1,047 over the same period in 2023.
In the case of the BFP personnel, there were two casualties this year, while there were none last year.
There were also 136 injured firefighters responding to fire incidents in 2024, an increase from 89 wounded BFP men in 2023.
On a positive note, the BFP report showed that fire incidents in the residential areas in 2024 decreased to 7,561 from 7,616 last year.
The BFP added that this year’s 763 fire incidents in the mercantile occupancies were lower than 829 in the same period in 2023, while 385 fire occurrences in the industrial areas in 2024 were also down from 449 incidents last year.
In the same report, the BFP recorded 1,463 fire incidents from “open flame from rubbish fire/bonfire to structural fire" in 2024, up compared to the record of 1,107 over the same period last year.
The BFP pointed out that the cause of 625 fire incidents this year was due to "open flame from farmland/agricultural and land clearing operations" which is more than the 336 similar cases in 2023.
There were also 752 fire incidents due to “electrical ignition caused by loose connections" this year compared to the 1,683 in 2023; while 1,255 fire incidents due to electrical ignition caused by arcing in 2024 were more than double than the 2,722 incidents recorded in the previous year.
Electrical arcing occurs when an electrical current jumps from one connection point to another, or between two conductors, through the air. It can happen when there is a gap in the circuit, or when wiring is faulty, loose or deteriorated, causing a bright flash, a loud popping or cracking noise or sparks.
The BFP data also disclosed that there were 999 fire incidents from “smoking/lighted cigarette, cigar or pipe" this year compared to the record of 1,441 in 2023; while 852 fire incidents from open flame cooking were recorded in 2024, which was lower than the 1,451 in the previous year.
Under the 2024 classification of fire incidents, the BFP said that 10,362 were accidental compared to 15,699 in 2023; 155 were natural, up from last year’s figure of 64; 66 were incendiary/intentional, remarkably down from last year’s record of 453; and 67 were fire cases with negligent acts, which is an increase from 19 incidents last year.
Compared to the 121 fire cases under investigation in 2023, this year’s record ballooned to 7,581; while there were 24 fire incidents with undetermined causes this year which decreased from 33 cases during the previous year.
Children’s vulnerability to gunfire incidents
Meanwhile, the BFP urged parents to closely monitor the activities of their kids and educate them on the dangers of using or even playing with firearms to celebrate the New Year as among those vulnerable to gunfire incidents are children.
The BFP stressed that proper parent supervision is vital to spare their children from injuries, deaths and trouble with the law due to illegal firearm-related issues.
“That’s why, let’s keep an eye on them (children) always and educate them about the side effects of using [guns]. Let’s open them to a happy and most of all safe New Year’s celebration,’’ the BFP pointed out.
The BFP also appealed to the public never to buy, use or sell illegal fireworks as they cause injuries, permanent disabilities and even death in the worst cases.
The prohibited firecrackers include watusi, piccolo, atomic bomb, kwiton, atomic triangle, super lolo, poppop, five star (big), juda’s belt (big), goodbye bading, goodbye dilemma, goodbye Philippines, plapla, hello Colombia, bin laden, lolo thunder, goodbye napoles, coke-in-can, goodbye chismosa, tuna, kingkong, kabasi, magic bawang, super yolanda, giant whistle bomb, pillbox, mother rockets among others.
BFP officer-in-charge (OIC) Chief Supt. Jesus P. Fernandez led an on-site inspection of firecracker stalls in Bocaue, Bulacan last Saturday to ensure that fire safety regulations in the storage and selling of fireworks are followed.
He emphasized that the BFP will continue to function as mandated under Executive Order 28 Series of 2016 which is to enforce fire safety in community fireworks display areas.
“It is our yearly routine to conduct roving of our firetrucks, and I have orders that any open flame in the streets be extinguished immediately,” Fernandez said.
“While it is our tradition to use fireworks, we as the regulating bodies, along with the Philippine National Police and the Department of Health, enforce the proper use of legal fireworks, in the appropriate areas,” he added.