Crackdown set vs ‘fire traps’

Officials of Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela) vowed to start a crackdown on socalled "fire traps" in congested communities following the series of fire incidents that recently hit Northern Metro Manila and resulted in the death of six children.

Officials of the local governments and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) will conduct inspections of illegal structures and congested residential areas where illegal electrical connections are rampant and pose as fire hazards to the community.

At least 10 fires broke out in the Camanava area three weeks ago that resulted in the death of five children in Valenzuela City and an 11-year-old boy in Caloocan City aside from the destruction of millions of pesos worth of property.

Fire officials in Northern Metro Manila said most of the fire incidents occurred in thickly-populated areas where shanties were built hastily without the proper permits from the local authorities, the structures lack basic facilities like toilets, water, and sewerage systems, and illegal electrical connections have proliferated in these areas which increase the risk of fires caused by faulty electrical wirings.

Residents who rent small rooms from the owners of the socalled fire traps are forced to rely on illegal power connections or just use candles or kerosene lamps at night which are the most common cause of fire incidents.

Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri directed barangay officials to lead the intensified crackdown against building of illegal structures that are turned into makeshift apartments which are regarded as fire traps.

Four fire incidents occurred in Caloocan City recently. In a residential area in Sta. Quiteria on Jan. 3, where 15 houses were razed. Another fire destroyed a mini-mart in Bagong Silang the next day, and on Jan. 5, two fires occurred in Barangay 59 and in Bagong Silang were an 11-year-old boy was seriously injured and later died in a hospital.

Chief Inspector Juan Reyes, Caloocan City fire marshal, said that his office is now coordinating with the local building officials and the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to coordinate the inspection of fire-prone areas, especially as summer draws near.

In Malabon City, wherein 100 shanties were recently destroyed when a fire broke out in a squatters’ colony in Barangay Catmon, the local fire bureau had taken the lead to start measures to prevent fires.

Senior Fire Officer 4 Job Sanesteban, operations chief of the Malabon fire department, said that the agency is coordinating with the office of Mayor Canuto Oreta and the barangay leaders to check the structures that are fire hazards.

"Inspections on establishments is a continuous process but we are not mandated to inspect individual dwelling so we are tapping the help of the city government and barangay leaders," Sanesteban said.

Navotas Fire Marshal Edgardo Antonio said that last Jan. 16, his office, the building officials and Meralco started conducting a joint inspection of structures not only in depressed areas but also other establishments and office buildings.

Jacob Vargas of the municipal planning office said that building of temporary structures on idle lots in Navotas is only allowed once requirements are complied with.

Two fires occurred in Navotas on Jan. 1 — in Barangay San Jose and in Barangay Navotas East.

Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian and city fire marshal Agapito Nacario are formulating a scheme to start the campaign against illegal structures especially in slum areas.

On Jan. 7, five siblings died in a fire caused by an unattended lighted candle in Barangay Malinta when they were trapped inside their house.

Gatchalian sent more than P500,000 assistance to the fire victims.