Bacolod city: Fire incidents in this highly urbanized city decreased by 31.5 percent, from 295 in 2024 to only 202 in the past year, data from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Bacolod City Fire Station on Wednesday showed.

According to Philippines News Agency, Fire Officer 2 Paul Servano, public information officer of BFP-Bacolod, attributed the decrease in fire incidents mainly to effective fire safety interventions under the city's Red Zone Program, which focuses on fire-prone areas. The program's outreach extends to residents at the purok (sub-village) level for fire prevention. Additionally, the city did not experience El Ni±o in 2025, unlike in 2024 when hot weather persisted during the first half of the year.

Among the 202 fire incidents recorded, 147 involved structures such as houses and buildings, while 35 were non-structural and 20 were vehicular fires. The first quarter of 2025 saw only 38 fire incidents compared to 108 in 2024. In the second quarter, there were 45 incidents compared to the previous year's 63. Fire incidents in the third quarter reached 59, down from 65 the previous year, while the fourth quarter saw a slight increase to 60 incidents compared to 59 in 2024.

Despite the overall decline in incidents, fatalities and injuries were higher in 2025, with six deaths and 16 injuries, compared to one death and 14 injuries in 2024. The total amount of damage in 2025 was reported at PHP33.46 million, significantly lower than the previous year's PHP57.32 million.