Two more fires hit Mandaue City

CEBU, Philippines - Two more fire alarms were reported yesterday by the Mandaue City fire department, a day after a huge fire hit the city.

The first alarm was received at 10:50 a.m. after the dumping area of a cooking oil factory in Barangay Subangdaku caught fire. Few hours later, a shanty was razed by a fire near the Umapad dumpsite.

Senior Fire Officer 1 Cipriano Codilla, investigator, said that the first fire hit the warehouse of A.D. Gothong Manufacturing Corporation. The fire was declared under control after 17 minutes and was completely put out 25 minutes later.

It has not caused much damage because the place was a dumping area of waste materials. An employee who refused to be named believes that somebody might have thrown a cigarette butt into the dumping area that ignited the fire.

Meanwhile, firefighters rushed to the area near the Umapad dumpsite at 3:04 p.m. after an abandoned shanty caught fire.

The shanty was owned by Mario Borres but has long been abandoned.

Codilla, however, said there were several people seen entering the shanty before the fire broke out. Witnesses believe that the abandoned shanty was used for drug session.

Yesterday’s fires were the second and third to hit the city, respectively, after a huge fire razed 67 houses in Barangay Paknaan the other day, leaving over P1 million in damage and several families homeless.

Paknaan Barangay Captain Melaquias Soco said some of the affected families have already started rebuilding their houses.

Meanwhile, the Visayas Electric Company has reminded the public to be always safe from fire.

Many fire incidents have been reported in Metro Cebu since the start of March, which is Fire Prevention Month.

Hot and warm weather drastically increases fire risks and it is crucial to make fire safety a priority in and around homes and work places to avoid damage to life and property.

The combination of heat, fuel and oxygen causes an object to ignite.  Oxygen is present in the air while paper, grass and dry leaves can act as fuel. Fuel temperatures can reach a certain critical point where ignition is possible.

With Holy Week fast approaching and people expected to go on travel or be out of their homes most of the week, VECO offers these fire safety tips particularly for electrical systems that are often hidden from view.

• Check for outlets that have loose-fitting plugs, which can overheat and lead to fire. Faulty and worn-out wiring can lead to short circuits (the critical ignition point of electrical systems).  Get a licensed electrician to inspect and repair   defective wiring.

• Replace any missing or broken wall plates. Make sure there are safety covers on all unused outlets that are accessible to children.

• Check that extension cords are not overloaded.

• Keep in mind that water and electricity don’t mix:

Don’t leave plugged appliances where they might come in contact with water. In case they do, never reach for them or to pull them out even if they are turned off. First, turn off the power source at the panel board and then unplug the appliance. If an appliance has gotten wet, don’t use it until it has been checked by a qualified repair person.

• If an appliance repeatedly blows a fuse, trips a circuit breaker or gives you an electric shock, unplug it and have it repaired or replaced. In case of fire, do not pour water on an electrical fire; use instead a dry fire extinguisher or baking soda.

• If an appliance catches fire, try to disconnect the power source or the main source, if this can be done safely.

• If an appliance emits smoke, leave the house immediately.  More people die from inhaling toxic fumes than are killed by a fire.

VECO reminds the public to display the fire department contact number near the telephone or keep the number in their mobile phone.

If there is a fire nearby, VECO advises customers and the public to call its emergency hotline 230-8326 so its personnel can immediately respond. (FREEMAN)