The Baguio City Fire Station under City Fire Marshal F Supt. Marisol Odiver recorded a total of 21 fire incidents from Jan. 1 to 12 noon of Feb. 23, 2024.
Odiver said that eight were grass fire incidents including the one that occurred at Spring Hills, Kadaclan Village early morning of Feb. 23 which affected around 1,000 square meters of government-owned land. Other grass fire incidents were reported in Outlook Drive, Ambuclao Road, Pucsusan and Bermuda Hills in Irisan.
Two were forest fire occurrences, the first of which happened at the Voice of America at Camp John Hay at 2 a.m. on Feb. 11 which was put out at 10:30 a.m. only to reignite on Feb. 12 and again on Feb. 13 affecting around three hectares of land and numerous plants and trees.
Odiver said they were looking at an old electrical wiring squeezed between a pole and a tree as possible trigger of the fire. Rekindling was caused by the strong wind that fanned embers and fed by dried up leaves and branches that accumulated in the area and the parched up land due to the absence of rains in the past months.
The other forest fire occurred last Feb. 20 in Loakan Proper and was also widespread with fumes and ash fallout reaching the city’s central business district. This rekindled the following day and was later put out.
There were also three rubbish fire incidents reported in Lourdes Subd., Campo Filipino and Atok Trail, three residential, and four non-residential or involving structures other than houses and one vehicular fire incident.
To address the recurrence of forest and grass fires, the fire station employed measures like building fire lanes, doing “backfire attacks” or building counter fires on the opposite side and removal of dried leaves and branches as a means to starve and deprive the fire.
Odiver reiterated their fire safety reminders to avoid fire especially with the onset of the fire season: Mind your electric connections and appliances and avoid octopus set-ups, do not leave your cooking and lighted candles unattended and teach children not to play with matches. When in grassy areas, avoid building bonfires and smoking. ** Aileen P. Refuerzo