summer = fire

I was walking back to the Holy Child Hospital today after buying some CD-Rs downtown when I saw this:

Oh, oh... A firetruck and arcs of water spraying the building.

Oh, no. Not another fire please!

And yet I braced myself for the worst. It is March afterall and it is Fire Prevention Month in the Philippines. March is the start of summer and with an elevated ambient temperature the incendiary threshold is lowered. In other words, because it is so hot, things burn easily.

Almost every year, sometimes several times in a year, fire hits Dumaguete and a quick search tonight yielded some links to those fires. It's not a very pleasant search so go only if you really want to.

Dominique Cimafranca speculates on the possible causes of fires in Dumaguete.

Alex Pal asks, "Could it be arson?"

Jay Dejaresco has a very personal take on the fires as he used to live in one of the buildings that was razed and one of business establishments that was burned was owned by his sister-in-law.

I think the most "outrageous" fire incident was when the City Prosecutor's Office burned to the ground in 2005. This was incredible because the Prosecutor's Office is right beside the City Fire Department where the firetrucks are. O_O

The firemen are spraying the Unitop Department Store (this used to be the Park Theater) and behind that yellow and blue building is the Holy Child Hospital already. Note the tangled electrical wiring along and across the streets ...

When they stopped spraying, I could see there was no smoke coming out from anywhere and there was nobody running around carrying stuff. I asked a security guard, "Is this a fire drill?" The welcome answer, "Yes, it is a fire drill."



Thank goodness! Here's a volunteer fireman rolling the water hose. I could see that there is a special technique to it and if he gets it right, he can roll the hose pretty quickly and neatly, too.

Here are some wise guidelines that I copied from Teresa Salazar's article in the Inquirer:

Fire Prevention Tips from the Bureau of Fire Protection:

• Put phone numbers of your nearest fire department near your phone.

• Eliminate fire hazards through good housekeeping: dispose waste paper, rubbish and other flammable materials regularly.

• Keep matches out of children’s reach.

• Oil or gas lamps and candles should be placed away from curtains. Do not light them near windows, fans or where children or pets may topple them. Put out the flame before going to bed.

• Do not keep flammable materials like gasoline, alcohol and paint inside the house.

• Regularly check your electrical installations, and have all frayed wirings and electrical fixtures changed or repaired by a licensed electrician.

• Do not overload electrical circuits by putting additional lights and appliances.

• Blown fuses should not be replaced with coins, wires or any other metal.

• Never leave a lighted cigarette/cigar/pipe unattended. This may fall on flammable materials.

• Keep a first-aid kit handy.

A safe and cool summer to you all!

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