EDITORIAL - Killer fires

Investigators are still trying to establish the cause of the fire. Regardless of the cause, the fire that broke out at the Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel the other day should spur greater awareness of fire safety especially during summer.

As of yesterday, the death toll had risen to five, all of them employees of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., which operates the casino where the fire started. Hotel and casino executives have denied that the sprinklers weren’t working and the alarms weren’t automatically set off.

Throughout March, observed as Fire Prevention Month because it is normally the hottest and driest month of the year, fires have broken out in other parts of the country, killing several other individuals. While accidents happen, authorities can’t emphasize enough that there are many ways to minimize the risks.

Commercial and other public establishments must comply with fire safety requirements. Households that can’t or won’t invest in sprinklers, fire extinguishers and similar devices can observe simple precautions, such as unplugging appliances and shutting off cooking gas valves when not in use, and making sure lighted candles are not left unattended. Old electrical connections can also be checked for safety.

The Pavilion fire should also remind authorities that the nation’s firefighting capability could use a lot of upgrading. It took about 24 hours to put out the fire, and it erupted again yesterday afternoon.

Fire officials have said many areas in the country still lack fire trucks. Where the trucks are available, firefighters lack fire-fighting equipment including protective clothing to allow them to rescue trapped persons. The capability to put out chemical fires is particularly inadequate, which raises the risk of deaths and loss of property when fires break out in factories. The Pavilion fire should encourage more action to improve firefighting capability.