By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
An official of the Bureau of Fire Protection in the province of Iloilo said the El Niño phenomenon has exacerbated the occurrence of grassfires.
“Aside from the dry season, we have El Niño, which exacerbates the possibility of fire incidents,” said Fire Supt. Bartolome Beliran, Fire Marshall of the Bureau of Fire Protection-Iloilo (BFP), on Monday.
“We are experiencing temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius, and everything is drying up. Just a small spark or any source of ignition can affect a vast area,” he added.
Beliran said there is a “shoot up” in incidents of grass fires in the province, noting that their office receives reports every day.
“We receive reports every day of grass fires. Usually, it’s one to two incidents daily,” he said.
Apart from the extreme weather brought by El Niño, Beliran said their response and rescue efforts in fire incidents are also affected by the lack of water supply.
“The sources of water are really our problem, but fortunately, our water utilities have committed hydrants from which we can obtain water. However, towns that do not have such facilities are a challenge for us,” he said.
To address the scarcity of water sources, Beliran said local BFP stations have requested local government units to drill wells or install overhead water storage tanks to help replenish the needed water.
“There are requests for flushing and water rationing, but we cannot grant them due to the scarcity of our water supply,” he added.
The BFP official urged the public to dispose of garbage properly and to extinguish bonfires or campfires, which can be potential causes of fires.
“We are reminding the public that fire prevention starts at home. Let us practice good housekeeping,” he added.
Beliran’s statement comes in the wake of an at least 9-hectare grassfire that occurred in Barangay Gua-an, Leganes on Sunday evening, March 24.
The fire erupted around 7:00 p.m. and was officially declared extinguished at 6:15 a.m. on March 25.
