Fortunately for the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), winds blew the thick black smoke at the right direction — away from the skies above the NAIA where they could have affected departing and arriving flights.
Alfonso Cusi, MIAA general manager, admitted that initially, the fire at the nearby terminal of the California Bus Lines along Kaingin Road in Multinational Village, had caused them to worry.
"At first we thought that we would be affected. Pero hindi naman. Wala naman," Cusi told The Star.
Chief Superintendent Andres Caro, Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP-ASG) chief, said that the fire originated from one of some 15 buses, mostly in junk condition, left at the junkyard area of the bus garage.
Responding firemen from the Parañaque fire station put the fire under control in about half an hour.
"It was only a small fire. However, there was thick and black smoke," Caro said.
The smoke from the fire could be seen by passengers going in and out of the NAIA.
BFP officer-in-charge Chief Superintendent Rogelio Asignado said that based on a partial report submitted to him by the 14 BFP regional offices nationwide, there were 1,049 fire incidents last month, which was 63 incidents less than what was recorded in the same period last year.
In March 2004, the BFP reported 1,112 fire incidents in the country.
According to Asignado, the estimated damage to property decreased by 52 percent from P341.5 million in March 2004 to P162.8 million in March 2005.
"As to casualties, 22 civilians were killed and 19 were injured in March this year while 26 died and 49 were injured last year," he added.
The report identified the National Capital Region with the highest number of fire incidents with 338; followed by Region 4-A with 274; and Region 6 with 253 fire incidents.
Region 1 had 34 fire incidents in March 2005; Region 2, five; Region 3, 17; Region 5, 12; Region 7, 24; Region 8, 18; Region 9, 14; Region 10, 17; Region 12, 28; and CARAGA with four.
Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary for Peace and Order Marius Corpus, who has supervision over the BFP, said that as part of the bureau’s fire safety and prevention awareness campaign, it will intensify the implementation of the "kiddie and junior fire marshals project" in both public and private schools nationwide.
This project is an offshoot of a memorandum of agreement signed between DILG Secretary Angelo Reyes and Education Secretary Florencio Abad. — With Edu Punay, Katherine Adraneda