EDITORIAL — Fires galore already

It’s not even March yet but Cebu has seen a rash of fires normally common during what is designated as Fire Prevention Month.

Just last Friday, three fires hit Metro Cebu. The first was in Sitio Sanggi, Barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City, at around 1:28 PM. It destroyed 36 houses. Around 5:20 PM another fire hit Barangay Looc, Mandaue City, and around 6 PM another fire again hit Barangay Looc and crossed over to Barangay Opao.

Last Thursday, a fire broke out in a furniture store and showroom along Hernan Cortes Street, Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City, around 2 PM.

Last January 23, 2025, five houses were destroyed while one was damaged in a fire in Talisay City.

Last January 21, seven houses were destroyed in a fire in Sitio Alaska, Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.

Last January 18, a total of 20 houses were destroyed in a fire that broke out at the North Reclamation Area in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City. That same day another fire in Barangay Carreta left 16 families homeless.

We don’t have the space to list all the fires that has happened since the start of the year.

Needless to say, this is a bad way to begin the year, especially if you were one of the fire victims. Imagine looking forward to a new start only to end up homeless and with nothing but the clothes on your back.

Unlike in Los Angeles where wildfires are actually a natural occurrence, the fires that happen here are often the result of man’s negligence, and they spread far because we build our houses too close together, and sometimes they are hard to reach by our firefighters because the inroads are too narrow and small.

But like in Los Angeles, as in anywhere else in the world, fires are always preventable with preparation and adherence to fire safety practices.

Again, we should all be aware that fire safety isn’t just for Fire Prevention Month; it’s for all days of the year.