MALASIQUI: The Bureau of Fire Protection Ilocos Region (BFP-1) is urging the public to be vigilant against fire incidents as it strengthens awareness bid and increase response rate and assets following the 39-percent rise of incidents in 2023.

In a phone interview on Wednesday, BFP-1 assistant regional director Supt. Eddie Jucutan said 732 fire incidents, mostly involving residential houses, were recorded in the region from January to December 2023, higher than the 528 incidents in the previous year.

Of the total, 266 were in Pangasinan, which has the biggest land area and population among the provinces in the region, followed by Ilocos Norte, 196; Ilocos Sur, 145; and La Union, 125.

Jucutan attributed the increase in fire incidents last year to lack of vigilance among the residents.

In January and February this year, the BFP has already recorded 195 incidents in the region.

Jucutan said the ongoing El Niño phenomenon may also trigger more fire incidents, thus BFP has intensified its fire prevention camp
aign through information dissemination by producing leaflets and using social media and radio, among others.

‘We want to teach the residents how to prevent fires and in case of emergency, how they should respond,’ he said.

BFP-Ilocos Region is also strengthening assets by providing additional training to its personnel and modernize its equipment.

He said fire stations in the region all have functioning fire trucks.

He added that BFP has teamed-up with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to address forest fire incidents.

Source: Philippines News Agency