Off to the right of my peripheral vision was this mysterious orange glow just outside our bedroom door where our altar was. My parents rushed to and from the bathroom and the bedroom door with buckets of what I can only assume was water as I sat on the bed, confused and with no idea of what was going on. It was past midnight, and I was half asleep. Everything seemed like a blur to me. I had not known it yet, but a candle that was not properly put out a few hours ago had just grown into something that we almost could not control.

That was my closest encounter with a fire, and we were lucky that the fire did not grow big enough to consume more than it did, which was just a small part of our altar. 

Fires in Cebu

Cebuanos are no strangers to fires since these phenomena are frequent within Cebu.

According to the Bureau of Fire Protection – Region 7 (BFP-7), the past few years has seen an increase of fire incidents that they have responded to within Cebu City. In 2020, BFP-7 responded to 179 fires including minor fires such rubbish and grass fires. Then in 2023, BFP-7 responded to 330 fires, almost double the number of incidents compared to 2020. In 2025 alone, there have been 60 fire incidents in the city since January as of March 5, Cebu Daily News (CDN) reports. 

These fires resulted in hundreds of homes burning down costing the city hundreds of millions of pesos worth in damages as well as displacing hundreds of people, a few losing their lives even.

Embers to Blazes

That begs the question, what even starts a fire? The Carlos Hilado Memorial State University (CHMSU) notes a few ways.

One common way for a fire to start is with unattended candles. As pointed out in the personal story I shared earlier, candles that have been left unattended can start a fire when they reach the end of the wax or if something, be it the wind, an object, or a living being, knocks the candle over, exposing the candle’s flame to whatever material it lands on. If that material happens to be flammable, then that’s a fire started.

Another way a fire can start is through electrical sparks or generated heat from faulty or misused electrical equipment. Sparks from these electrical equipment can land on flammable surfaces, starting a fire as a result of the contact. Or the electrical equipment themselves start a fire when they overheat, resulting in their protective layers simultaneously combusting.

Unattended cookware on a burning stove is also a way fires can start. When the food in the cookware is left alone to heat on a burning stovetop, the temperatures can reach high enough to where the food in the cookware begins to combust. Given the right conditions, these burning foods can grow big enough for the fire to catch in the kitchen, expanding the fire outside of the cookware.

There are more ways for a fire to start, but there are also a lot more materials that are highly combustible which can sustain and grow a fire when it does start. The International Fire and Safety Journal (IFSJ) notes a few of these materials.

Combustibles

Wood is one common combustible material within homes. It can be found in furniture, cookware, appliances, or even in the walls. Wood is a highly flammable material, burning at high temperatures and lasting long enough for the fire to spread all around it.

Another common flammable material in homes is plastic. Though not as flammable compared to wood, it is still flammable enough to be of concern. Plastics also have the added disadvantage of giving off toxic fumes when burning which smells strong and can even be irritating to the eyes and lungs given enough exposure.

Clothes are also considered as flammable since most clothes are made of either natural materials such as cotton, silk, linen, and plant fibers, or they are made of a petroleum-based synthetic material such as nylon, polyester, poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PET), and other plastics.

In Prevention

With knowing how fires are started and what materials help them keep going, it is important to make sure that fires are prevented to begin with. Fires require certain conditions to start and continue and fire prevention makes sure those conditions are not present.

The BFP presents a few tips to prevent fires.

If possible, instead of using candles for lighting, they suggest that people invest in solar powered lamps or lights for power outages. If candles are the only option available, then candles should not be left unattended, especially with pets or children nearby. It is also best to put out the candle thoroughly to make sure it cannot light itself back up again.

While cooking food, never leave it unattended while it is on the burner so that if it starts to get too hot, the burner can be brought down or the food can be taken off the burner completely. Checking if the burner is really turned is also a good thing to keep in mind, and it can be a good habit to develop to make sure there are no open flames on the cooktops.

Checking and replacing old and worn out electronics and appliances is also a good practice to make sure it cannot cause electrical sparks or heat up in such a way that can cause fires. If a piece of electrical appliance or equipment is hotter than usual, sends sparks when electricity is run through it, or if it gives off strong burnt smells while it is operating, then it needs to be replaced.

As this fire prevention month goes on, let us remind ourselves that fires are preventable given the right mindset and arrangements. With a little bit of knowledge, preparation, and action, enough can be done to make sure that everything and everyone you love will not be reduced to ashes.