Public urged to be extra cautious to prevent fires

CEBU, Philippines - The scorching heat of the sun brought about by El Niño is a big factor in the ignition of fires, Cebu City Fire Marshal Esmael Codilla said yesterday.

In an interview with The Freeman, Codilla explained that the increasing level of heat kindles fire faster, which is most likely the reason why there have been numerous fires in the city and rest of the province since the start of 2010.

Codilla said this is aside from the fact that most of the causes of the fires are faulty electrical wirings, something that owners of households should prevent by constantly checking their connections as often as possible.

He said some households also have “octopus” connections, which is very dangerous, just like other illegal connections such as illegal tapping and the so-called “flying connections.”

Codilla said the danger of illegal connections such as these is the reason why the fire department constantly reminds the public to ensure that their lines are safe and properly operating by regular checking of electric lines and to immediately change their connection to maintain the standard.

The fire chief also said that for their part, they are also persistently making inspections all over the city especially in apartments, boarding houses and buildings and continually have fire drills to ensure preparedness on the part of the public.

Codilla said they need the help of the public in preventing more fires and more loss of lives. He said these can be prevented if the public would remain cautious, especially in using materials that easily catch, start or spread fire.

Codilla said they appreciate the help they are getting from major establishments that have agreed to share water if the Bureau of Fire Protection needs it when responding to fires.

As for other facilities, Codilla said that they “do not have but could still manage.”

Meanwhile, an expert in the study of earthquakes, Gus Ouano, recommended during the weekly 888 news forum at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel that the city government acquire equipment or heavy machinery that could help take away big pieces of rubble in the event of a strong earthquake.

Ouano said heavy equipment would be very useful, considering that Cebu has many concrete buildings, even more than those in Haiti where lots of residents died following the 7.0 magnitude quake that hit the place.

Ouano said it is better to be ready, especially that there is yet no equipment that can detect if an earthquake is coming. – AJ A. Dela Torre/JMO   (FREEMAN NEWS)