855 fire incidents hit Davao City in 2024

Firefighters from the Bureau of Fire Protection and Central 911 try to suppress the fire that started at an abandoned movie theater on C.M. Recto Avenue in Davao City on Monday morning (31 May 2024). MindaNews photo by GREGORIO BUENO

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 19 February) – Fire incidents in the city increased by around 22 last year to 855 from 667 in 2023, data from the Davao City Fire District (DCFD) showed.

Fire Senior Inspector Shaira Borja, DCFD intelligence and investigation section head, said that in 2024, 419 fire incidents were non-structural and/or “minimal damage fire incidents,” 277 were residential, 108 were non-residential and 50 were transportation vehicles.

She said that weak water pressure in some areas in the city still remains a challenge for the DCFD in putting out fires.

Borja said they are constantly coordinating with the Davao City Water District (DCWD) to help them put up fire hydrants across strategic areas around the city. 

“We lack manpower, we admit that, so we are continually coordinating with the DCWD to help us for more fire hydrants. But there are really parts of the city where water pressure is weak,” Borja said in Cebuano.

In a January 28 statement, the DCWD said it has “sufficient water supply” to support firefighting efforts and disaster response and relief.

“DCWD remains dedicated to maintaining a well-prepared and reliable water supply for the city’s emergency needs and will continue working to ensure that it is fully equipped to respond to any crisis,” it stated.

For the fire damage, DCFD data showed that in 2024, the fire incidents in the city gutted ₱97.6 million worth of properties, around 20 percent lesser than in 2023 at ₱121.7 million.

From January 1 to February 18, 2025, Borja said they recorded 99 fire incidents with damage worth P15.6 million. From January to February 2024, 112 fire incidents were recorded in the city. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)