Fire-prone barangay was on public safety plan when blaze struck

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Iloilo City has designated Barangay Airport in the Mandurriao district as one of the city’s fire-prone areas.

Prior to the blaze on March 5, BFP-Iloilo City had visited the community to initiate the ‘Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan’ program. This comprehensive fire prevention initiative, which began in 2019, was temporarily halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fire Superintendent Melanie Habawel, the BFP-Iloilo City fire marshal, noted that the program is yet to be fully implemented in Barangay Airport.

‘Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan’ will begin with BFP personnel educating local officials and barangay tanods about developing a Community Fire Protection Plan. This plan will include hazard mapping to establish the community’s access points and to pinpoint crowded areas and potential obstacles.

Superintendent Habawel said the narrow paths and alleys in Barangay Airport have posed significant challenges to firefighters during operations.

As for the recent fire, Habawel reported that as of 6 p.m. on March 5, in collaboration with the Iloilo City Social Welfare and Development Office, 55 homes were confirmed to be completely destroyed, while three suffered partial damage.

She added that these figures were subject to change as the investigation unfolded.

Initial reports at noon on Tuesday indicated 55 completely destroyed homes and 33 partially damaged ones.

Later that day, the count was revised to 54 completely and 36 partially destroyed homes.

Finally, after further coordination with the Iloilo City Social Welfare and Development Office and barangay officials, the number was updated to 55 completely and 3 partially destroyed homes.

“By early evening, our investigators came up with the 55 totally burned houses and 3 partially damaged, following a coordination with the Iloilo CSWDO and barangay officials,” she said.

The fire affected an area of 1,400 square meters, with the estimated property damage remaining at 2.1 million pesos.

Habawel said that the origin of the fire is under investigation, with at least four houses being considered as the potential starting point.

However, the cause of the fire remains undetermined, with possible factors including electrical issues or unattended cooking.