Bacolod City – Newly-installed Bacolod Fire Marshal Chief Insp. Stephen Jardeleza said they have already submitted the list of possible fire-prone areas in Bacolod City to the Office of the Mayor recently.
Jardeleza said they have also submitted additional data that might be of help to Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez in his objective to prevent fire-related tragedies in the city.
Benitez had said during a press conference that they will be identifying fire-prone areas in Bacolod, together with the barangay captains to be able to take extra measures to prevent incidents similar to the fire that claimed the lives of a 39- year-old Person with Disability and her 4-year-old daughter, as well as razing seven houses and destroyed another in Purok Bayanihan, Brgy. Taculing last Monday.
Jardeleza said the fire spread so fast since the houses were made light materials, while the 4-year-old child and her PDW mother died due to smoke suffocation and from being covered by burning debris while trying to escape the fire.
He reminded the public to “take extra caution in their homes since we are still experiencing El Niño and also because they have a big responsibility to take care of members of their family especially the children, the elderly, and PWD, who are most vulnerable during fire incidents.”
They should also have their electrical installations checked by certified electricians even once a year, and should avoid smoking inside their homes and using octopus connections or substandard electrical wires, and also avoid leaving food they are cooking unattended, in order to prevent the occurrence of fires, Jardeleza added. (Chrysee Semillano via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of TVDS)