BFP still probing cause of Davao City fire incident

DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines – The Bureau of Fire Protection in Davao City is still investigating the cause of a fire in the city that gutted at least 1,200 residential houses in Barangay 21-C in Quezon Boulevard on Saturday afternoon, February 25.

Senior Inspector Sabina Talingting, ground commander of the Davao City Fire District Central Fire Station, said Saturday’s fire incident was the biggest in Davao City this year. The fire destroyed at least P9 million worth of properties, mostly those of informal settlers living along the coastline of Davao City.

Talingting said that even though all of the city government’s 16 firetrucks plus volunteer fire trucks of private firms had come together to suppress the fire, it took them almost three hours before they declared a “fire out.”

The fire broke out around 1:05 pm on Saturday afternoon, with BFP personnel declaring fire out by 3:49 pm.

“It is an informal settlers’ area and the roads are so narrow, we were having a hard time suppressing the fire,” Talingting told Rappler on Sunday, February 26.

She said they are still investigating the cause of the fire, and refused to speculate on its cause.

In a public advisory, the city government of Davao said hundreds of fire victims are now taking temporary shelter in a covered court of Barangay 22-C as personnel of the Davao City Social Welfare and Development Office were deployed to extend assistance to the victims.

At least three mobile kitchens were deployed by the city government to give free meals. The city government has also set up a care center for young kids who were traumatized by the fire.

For those who wish to extend relief assistance to the fire victims, the city government said it has already put up two donation drop-off points in Rizal Park beside the Davao City Hall and at the headquarters of Task Force Davao in Santa Ana Wharf. Badly-needed items include ready-to-eat food items, bottled water, hygiene kits, and sleeping materials such as blankets and pillows. – Rappler.com

Ferdinand Zuasola is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.