LAOAG CITY – The local government unit of Piddig in Ilocos Norte province has spearheaded the establishment of checkpoints leading to its mountainous sites as a proactive measure to prevent grassfires in the province.
Manned by personnel from the Piddig government, Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the checkpoints are located in Barangay 22, Boyboy Junction national road along the Piddig-Carasi-Solsona highway, and in Barangay 18 Estancia in the boundary of Sitio Utoy and Guisit in Barangay Maruaya-Calambeg.
“The checkpoints will serve as a measure to ensure the safety of the community by monitoring and regulating the movement of vehicles and people in the area,” said Mayor Georgina Guillen in an interview Tuesday.
From January to March this year, the BFP recorded a total of 99 fire incidents; 30 of these are structural fires, 68 are non-structural fires or grass fires; and one was a vehicular fire incident. The 99 fire incidents caused a total of P16,267,390 worth of damage, based on the submitted affidavit of loss of those affected.
According to the BFP, the major causes of these fire incidents are open flame from rubbish fire, smoking, ignition of materials from ember, the open flame in farmlands, electrical ignition caused by a loose connection, open flame from cooking, fireworks, arcing, overheated home appliances, and open flame from kaingin and kerosene lamps.
This year’s number of fire incidents rose by 136 percent compared to the 42 incidents logged during the same quarter in 2022. The BFP also plans to create more "KAISA: Call-to-Action against Destructive Fire Campaign" partners, especially with big business establishments in the province like grocery stores, markets, and schools.
Barangays were also urged to create their own Community Fire Auxiliary Groups (CFAG) to respond to fire emergencies in their community. Under the CFAG program, BFP personnel will train village officials on how to extinguish fires properly and safely. (PNA)
