Fewer fires broke out in Cebu City during the first three months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, as the Bureau of Fire Protection reported 67 incidents from January to March.
According to Cebu City Fire Office (CCFO) spokesman Senior Fire Officer 3 Wendell Villanueva, total estimated damage reached P13.55 million as of Friday, March 27.
January saw 21 fire incidents with losses amounting to P2.98 million, February recorded 25 cases with P4.11 million in damage, and March accounted for 21 incidents totaling P6.45 million.
Structural fires dominated this year’s reports with 60 cases, while seven were classified as non-structural. No fire-related deaths were recorded during the period, although nine individuals sustained injuries.
Villanueva also noted that there were no arson cases or filed cases in the first quarter of 2026.
For comparison, the same period in 2025 saw a higher number of incidents, with 89 fires recorded.
January 2025 logged 30 incidents with P6.18 million in damage, February had 25 incidents totaling P7.16 million, and March registered 34 incidents with estimated losses of P10.79 million.
First-quarter damages in 2025 reached around P24.14 million, and unlike this year, fatalities and injuries were reported.
Structural fires accounted for 80 of the incidents, while nine were non-structural.
For the full year of 2025, CCFO recorded 277 fire incidents with estimated damages of P117.86 million.
Of these, 236 were structural fires and 41 were non-structural, with seven fatalities, 37 injuries, seven arson cases, and seven cases filed.
The 2026 figures indicate a downward trend in both fire incidents and overall damage, although March—typically a peak period due to dry conditions—still accounted for a significant portion of losses.
Fire Prevention Month is observed every March under Presidential Proclamation No. 115-A, signed in 1966, to raise awareness about fire safety during the dry season.
Authorities continue to remind residents to follow fire safety practices beyond the month-long campaign.
Villanueva previously emphasized that most fires are preventable and often result from electrical faults, unattended cooking, or open flames.
Image: Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office-CCDRRMO
