SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews / 27 March) – Fire incidents in Caraga Region dropped 14.59 percent last year compared to the previous year, the Bureau of Fire and Protection-Caraga reported.
In the last two years, 21 lives were lost in the fire while P269 million worth of properties were damaged, the bureau said.
Senior Supt. Leonides Perez, regional director of BFP-Caraga, said at least 117 fire incidents occurred in 2014 compared to 137 in 2013.
Data culled by MindaNews on Friday morning showed a total of P114 million in total damage to properties because of fire in 2014, which included several heavy equipment were burned by New Peoples’ Army.
In 2013, total property damage reached P155.3 million.
The province of Agusan del Norte had the highest number of fire incidents in the region with 46 incidents in 2013 and 32 in 2014.
This is followed by Surigao del Sur with total of 61 fire incidents in the last two years.
Surigao del Norte has 55 incidents in the last two years, while Agusan del Sur has 53. Dinagat only had seven incidents.
Fire Officer 3 Florencio L. Tesiorna, officer-in-charge of the investigation section of BFP-Caraga, said that the number one cause of fire is electrical short circuit with 132 cases, followed by unattended cooking with 48 cases, and 15 cases caused by unattended lighted candles.
Tesiorna said fire incidents claimed 21 lives in the last two years – 12 in 2013 and 9 in 2014.