MANILA: The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is set to open a hotline for residents in the National Capital Region where they can request for an inspection of electrical connections of their houses to reduce the risk of fires. Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. announced this in a media forum on Tuesday, the DILG said in a news release on Wednesday. Abalos said the BFP's step to extend its services in barangays through its hotline can be a huge push in their goal to lessen fires, noting that most fire cases start from overheated appliances, especially electric fans. 'Karamihan ng cause ng sunog ay electric fan. Bakit? Nag-o-overheat ang electric fan. Sa sobrang init, nagi-spark at iyan ang sanhi. Kaya 'yung mga nakikinig ngayon, pag-ingatan n'yo mga electric fan nyo (Most fires now are caused by electric fans. Why? Electric fans overheat. When it gets too hot, it sparks and that's the cause. So those who are listening now, take care of your electric fans),' Abalos said. He advised the public to have their electrical connections and old electrical appliances checked or thrown out. Electrical ignition due to arcing and overloading, lighted cigarette butts were also identified as among primary causes of fires. BFP Director Louie Puracan, meanwhile, said they are training their personnel so they can immediately respond should residents call them to inspect electrical wirings and systems in their homes. Puracan also advised the public to observe fire safety especially since March is the peak of the hot season which is exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon. For the first two months of 2024 alone, the BFP logged a 26 percent increase in fires -- from 2,424 incidents to more than 3,200 cases this year. Of the total number, 600 fires have been reported in NCR. Meanwhile, Abalos said 123 local government units (LGUS) mostly from Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) still do not have fire stations. Abalos said this is a reduction from the 240 tow ns that do not have fire trucks when he assumed office as DILG chief. 'Iniisa-isa na namin kinakausap namin before the end of the year hopefully mabigyan under the guidance of our President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. In fact, kinakausap na namin yung mga governor sila naman mag ayos or mag donate ng lupa, 400 sq. meters. Punta kami sa Mindanao para makumpleto namin lalo na sa BARMM (We are talking to them one by one and hopefully before the end of the year, under the guidance of our President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. We are also talking to the governors for them to be able to fix or donate at least 400 square meters of land. We will go to Mindanao so we can complete BARMM especially),' Abalos told the Philippine News Agency. Puracan said a fire station would need at least 400 square meters and could cost PHP10 million to build. Source: Philippines News Agency
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