STAR OF THE SHOW. Parol (Christmas lantern) makers in Las Piñas City are swamped with orders and repair works as early as the middle of the year. Experts warn households to be careful in their electrical installations to avoid fire incidents. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)
MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is discouraging the use of light materials and substandard electrical wires in Christmas decorations to prevent fire incidents.
Consumers must check the appearance of wires, which should be thick, and the authenticity of the import commodity clearance (ICC) stickers which can be easily copied easily, advised Fire officer Rovir Solar, chief deputy fire marshal of BFP Dagupan, during a virtual forum hosted by the Philippine Information Agency - Pangasinan on Tuesday.
He also advised using just a maximum of three strings of Christmas lights per electrical outlet and to utilize decorations that use the cost-efficient and safer light emitting diode (LED) lights.
LED lights cannot produce spark and heat and eliminate the potential risk of explosion.
"Kapag nag-exceed ay gawa ng panibagong source para makaiwas sa overloading (If it exceeds, they should make another source to prevent overloading)," he said.
The BFP is on red or heightened alert status during the holiday season. (PNA)
