December 2007 Bocaue fire

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December 2007 Bocaue fire
Store owners attempt to put out the fire when the fireworks exploded. This incident injured seven.
Date: December 31, 2007 Time: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM Location: Governor F. Halili Avenue, Barangay Turo, Bocaue, Philippines Casualties 7 injured 4 missing (all recovered)

On the morning of December 31, 2007 ten fireworks stores burned in Barangay Turo, Bocaue, Bulacan, causing a series explosions within the area. The fire lasted for almost an hour and caused several traffic jams in Governor F. Halili Avenue and the North Luzon Expressway.

Contents 1 Previous Incidents 2 Government Restrictions 3 Location 4 Causes 5 Events 6 Casualties 7 Aftermath 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Previous Incidents

Bocaue is very famous for fireworks production. However, this has also made the town susceptible to large fires every New Year.

In 1988, the town was rocked by earth-shaking blasts from exploding make-shift factories that produce firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices. The explosions on 2007, 2004 and 1988 were among the many powerful blasts plaguing the pyrotechnics industry. These, notwithstanding the use of children in the manufacture and sale of these devices. Also, authorities circumvent Republict Act 7183 thus making home-based makers as their milking cows.

Another incident in 2004 even killed 8 and affected 1000 homes, the cause of this incident is fireworks testing. When a man tested a firework called "higad," the sparks reached a display of firecrackers.^[1]

[edit] Government Restrictions

The Philippine government has put several restrictions regarding fireworks use and several fireworks are actually banned from use. However, these restrictions are usually ignored.

The sore point of these restrictions is the Republic Act 7183 which regulates the sale, manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices. The only allowed firecrackers and pyrotechnics are enlisted here including the maximum amount of gunpowder that can be used in an individual firecracker.^[2]

[edit] Location

The fire occurred in Barangay Turo, Bocaue, Bulacan. At the site there are stores selling fireworks in which they are beside one another. Beside them is an electric substation of Meralco. A few meters away is the Bocaue Exit of North Luzon Expressway and there is a gas station nearby.

[edit] Causes

The Bureau of Fire Protection believes that somebody lit a cigarette and accidentally threw it into a stack of fireworks at the back of a store. The Philippine National Police believes that it is caused by a chemical reaction. The fireworks testing theory has also been a probable cause but has been since put down.

As of January 2, 2008, the cigarette theory is accepted as the cause of the fire.

[edit] Events

Even before the fire, several people noticed the problems regarding the setting of the fireworks stores. They have noticed that there are no gaps between the stores and some have even warned the vendors the dangers in the event of a fire.

Coincidentally, a day before the fire, December 30, the same area suffered a power blackout when a fuse of a power post exploded that morning. This left several stores and houses without power.

On December 31, 2007, the firemen on duty on the area was transferred, leaving everything susceptible to a major fire.

The incident occurred a day before the New Year. Every year, this portion of the town becomes a market of fireworks and people from all over flock at this place. The trading is at its height when the fire occurred and many people are present.

At 10:00 AM, the fire began when a Judas Belt, exploded and its sparks reaches fireworks from another store. Store owners attempted to put out the fire but an explosion rippled the stores entirely. In a few minutes, in what appeared to be a small firework explosion turned into a large, uncontrollable fire.

During the fire, motorists using the North Luzon Expressway saw the smokes from the fire and even slowed down to see it.

The people ran for their safety in a nearby vacant lot, just behind a terminal of passenger vans servicing the route of Bocaue, Bulacan to SM City Pampanga in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, causing a stampede. The explosion reached the street and it broke some of the glasses of the nearby houses and establishments. Those buildings where the glass windows are not broken are across the street and managed to cover their glass windows preventing damage on them.

In a matter of minutes the firemen arrived at the scene and before 11:00 AM the fire was put out.

[edit] Casualties

The fire injured 7 people including two crewmen of GMA Network and there are four people missing. All of the stores have burned and the remaining fireworks are disposed. Nobody was killed.

A total of three vehicles burned during the fire.

[edit] Aftermath

Several people are dismayed to what happened. They believe that lack of strict enforcement of local laws made the incident possible. They also believe that somebody should be liable to what happened since the fires and explosion broke glass windows around the area, causing injuries. Atty. Carlo Santiago, one of the witnesses^[3], will file a case against the store owners.

The fire department was criticized, due to an absence of firemen at the time of the fire. Although swift, the firemen arrived too late with nothing left on the stores.

After the incident, the other store owners who closed their stores reopened. After several hours, the situation is back to normal. The prices of the fireworks also dropped significantly as the New Year approaches although it is not attributed to the incident. The store owners also tried retrieve their properties and the authorities found out several flaws on the side of the store owners.

On January 2, 2008, the Bureau of Fire Protection is considering a revoke of permits to Bocaue store owners and the investigators have drawn up a list of possible "suspects" but refused to name them while the investigation is pending.^[4]

According to investigators, the store owner where the fire started won't be sued since everything happened accidentally^[5]. Also, the investigation of the accident is stalled due to absence of witnesses.^[6]

Senator Aquilino Pimentel also proposed a total ban of fireworks. His proposal received heavy backfire especially from the local government of the province of Bulacan and from the legal fireworks factories and vendors.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

1. GMA Video of the Bocaue Fire
2. ABS-CBN article about the Bocaue Fire