BUTUAN CITY – The city government of Butuan, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Agusan del Norte Electric Cooperative (Aneco) called on the public Thursday to refrain from leaving embers in their dirty kitchens and reminded them to be sure that electrical units are unplugged during brownouts to avoid electrical problems that might cause fire.

Butuan City is currently suffering four to eight hours of rotating brownouts a day.

The government authorities also warned the public to carefully use candles and other improvised lamps during brownouts that might also cause fire.

All government agencies also asked for heightened information campaign against burning dry leaves and household wastes.

Fire authorities and local government unit officials also warned smokers from throwing cigarette butts just anywhere saying this might cause fire.

Absence of rains for quite some time now has so dried up leaves and grasses that even little flicker of flame can lead to a disastrous fire, fire authorities said.

City Mayor Democrito Plaza already expressed alarm at the series of fires that has hit various residential areas in the city since the first day of March, which ironically is Fire Prevention Month. At least five fires have occurred since the start of the month, leaving four people dead.

Damage to properties has already reached more than P30 million.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, two big fires gutted at least 630 houses in Barangays Ong Yui and Barangay Obrero, both in this city. Three persons died in these two major fires, one of them an old woman and two children, one aged 5 and other 7.

Earlier, a large fire also gutted several houses in Barangay New Society village here where a one-year-and two-month-old baby girl was also killed.

Mayor Plaza urged massive community awareness regarding fire prevention.

He also called on boarding house operators to strictly comply with the requirements of the BFP, especially regarding installation of fire exits and availability of fire extinguishers.

“Fire prevention is everybody’s concern to avert further loss of lives,” Plaza said.