Don't let fire start with cigarettes, fans, studes told

While police will look out for petty thieves, kidnappers and demonstrators when school starts, fire officials will watch out for their own three “enemies" – cigarettes, electric fans, and computers. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said these three are among the major causes of fires in dormitories and boardinghouses, especially now that the school year is about to start. “Yung overheating electric fans isa sa mga top causes ng sunog (Overheating electric fans are among the top causes of fires in boardinghouses and dormitories)," Sr. Supt. Carlito Romero, BFP director for operations, said in an interview on government-run dzRB radio Saturday. He advised students to refrain from leaving the appliances on overnight. On the other hand, Romero warned against smoking inside boardinghouses, as cigarette butts can also start fires if they are not put out properly. But Romero advised students particularly against keeping their computers on overnight, saying computers and their voltage regulators can cause much heat. “Ang computer may voltage regulator na nagpro-produce ng init. Ilayo ito sa mga papel at huwag panatilihin magdamag ang AVR (Computers have voltage regulators that cause heat. You should keep them away from your papers and refrain from keeping them on overnight)," he said. Romero also reminded owners of boardinghouses and dormitories to install working smoke detectors to warn occupants of the danger of fires. He likewise reminded the public of the acronym SAFE, which outlines the steps to be taken in case of a fire. “Sound the alarm, Activate the fire brigade, Firefighting, and Evacuation," he said. - GMANews.TV