February 21, 2026 – A series of recent fire incidents has raised concern among residents, with the Bureau of Fire Protection – Cordillera Administrative Region (BFP-CAR) Itogon Fire Station recording 16 fire cases in less than two months this year.
Among the latest incidents were fires reported in Barangays Tuding and Loacan, both traced to unattended cooking, a common cause of residential fires.
According to Fire Officer (FO) III SATURNINO B ARISTION, a structural fire broke out in Sitio Gold River, Loacan on February 18 at around 4:00 PM. Initial investigation showed that food left cooking without supervision ignited the fire.
The victim, an 88-year-old woman living with dementia, was believed to be alone at the time. FO Ariston said she may have forgotten she was heating food and fell asleep, allowing the fire to spread. The incident resulted in an estimated P150,000 in property damage.
A day later, on February 19 at 10:09 AM, another fire occurred in Sitio Sibal, Tuding, also linked to unattended cooking. The fire originated from a dirty kitchen, an outdoor cooking, where occupants assumed the fireplace had been fully extinguished. However, residual embers reignited after they left the area and eventually spread to nearby wooden structures.
While no injuries were reported, the incident was later classified as a Minimal Disaster Fire Incident (MDFI) with estimated damages reaching P1,000.
BFP Itogon Fire Station continue to remind the public to remain vigilant when cooking and to ensure all flames and embers are fully extinguished before leaving any cooking area unattended.
Photos courtesy of BFP CAR Itogon Fire Station
[by BSU BA Communication Interns: Charmaine Capsula, Nicolle Joy Delmas, Rhyza Joie Tomas]
