BFP to Public: Don’t Burn your Garbage

Dagupan City (PIA) – The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has called on the public to avoid burning their garbage which could cause grass fires during the hot and dry weather due to the El Niño phenomenon.

Fire Insp. Michael John Escaño, information officer of BFP-Pangasinan, encouraged people to shun the bad practice of burning trash because it also generates air pollution that has harmful health and environmental impacts.

“Better create a compost pit where you can bury your waste and reduce pollution,” he said, adding that this is one of the safety measures the bureau is providing in its house-to-house information drive to lessen and prevent fire incidents in the province.

Moreover, Escaño reminded people to avoid using substandard products and instead buy licensed ones approved by the trade department.

He further advised on staying vigilant when charging electronic gadgets and to not leave them unattended as it could trigger fire when left overcharged.

According to BFP-Pangasinan, incidents of fire in Pangasinan went down for the first two months of 2016.

“A total of 113 fire incidents occurred from January to February this year, which is lower than the 186 cases listed for the same period in 2015,” Escaño disclosed during the Pantongtongan Tayo radio program of PIA-Pangasinan on Tuesday.

He noted that most fire incidents recorded in the province in 2015 are due to open flames wherein people who use coal and wood leave their cooking unattended.

Escaño shared additional safety tips to prevent fire incidents just in time for the celebration of the Fire Prevention Month this March with the theme “Kaalaman at Pagtutulungan ng Sambayanan, Kaligtasan sa Sunog ay Makakamtan.”

“In order to avoid grass fires, smokers should avoid throwing lighted cigarette butts anywhere; avoid overloading of electrical circuits; and be familiar with the hotline number of the nearest fire station in your area that you can call in case of fire and other emergencies,” he said.

Escaño hopes that by following these simple tips, people will have communities that are safe from fire accidents. (MCA/AMM/PIA-1, Pangasinan)