Saint Mary’s Angels College of Pampanga

Bachelor of Science in Criminology

Tracking the Primary Source of Fire Cases in the Municipality of Sta.

Ana, Province of Pampanga and the Process of Mitigating it

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for

Criminology Research 1

Researchers:

Andit, Fritz Jerome C.

Dimacali, Jerome D.

Lorenzo, Jimwell B.

Magat, Childrich V.

Pili, John Paul P.

2022
 CHAPTER 1

The Problem and its Background

Introduction

Fire is a phenomenon of combustion manifested through light, flame,

and heat (Merriam Webster Dictionary, 2019). The use of fire has long been

regarded as a distinguishing feature of intelligence, distinguishing us from

other animals. The precise timing of human discovery and use of fire has

been the subject of ongoing research (Scott, 2018). The discovery of fire by

humans, according to British archeologist John Gowlett, was a complicated

process that occurred over a long period of time. Today, humans appear to be

self-assured in our ability to control fire. But we must be cautious not to

become overconfident. The spread of non-native grasses, such as Gamba

grass in Australia and Cheatgrass in North America, is having a significant

impact on the nature, scale, and frequency of wildfires.

Unless the combustion was caused by humans, wildfires or forest fires

are natural forms of fire. Forest fires always start in one of two ways: naturally

or by accident. Natural fires are usually started by lightning, with only a small

percentage started by spontaneous combustion of dry fuels like sawdust and

leaves (Corona, 2022). These ruin lives, livestock, habitats, and farmlands.

Human-caused fires, on the other hand, can occur for a variety of

reasons. These can be categorized between both intentional or unintentional,

although the former would be considered as arson. Some instances of these

human-caused fires are electrical overloading or faulty connections,

unattended cooking, forgotten lit candles, improperly disposed cigarette butts,

combustible chemicals, and many more. In an article, fire incidents increased

by 13% in the first 2 months of Year 2022 (Caliwan, 2022). According to the

report, people were careless in using electrical connections for long periods of

time, resulting in complete disregard for fire safety measures.

In 2017, there were 4,645 reported fire cases in the National Capital

Region, the highest among others. While the other regions varied from 300 to

almost 1,400 fire cases, the top one cause of fire at this time was said to be

the overloaded electric wires (Newsdesk, 2019). This was due to various

cities or communities using the jumper system to obtain electricity, which is an

illegal method of obtaining utilities without paying for them. This is a common

cause because most of these jumpers are do-it-yourself or were installed

without the supervision of qualified electricians.

The local government has direct responsibility for the safety

of the people knowledge of the situation and accompanying resource

requirements, and proximity to both event and resources. It has its

emergency services department that have the capability of responding

to emergencies twenty-four hours a day. They include law

enforcement, fire/emergency medical services, and public works. They

may also be referred to as emergency response personnel or first

responders. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) of the Philippines is a

government agency whose role is to suppress and prevent the outbreak of

destructive fires, enforce relevant laws, and provide emergency medical and

rescue services. However, the BFP faces an uphill struggle in the

performance of its duties in a conflagration-prone nation such as the

Philippines.
 Further, in the municipality of Sta. Ana in the province of Pampanga, a

fire razed a residential area last March 05, 2021 and it was reported that it

affected 30 families. The fire duration was estimated to be 13 hours before

declared put out and the estimated loss was 200,000 pesos (Tupas, 2021).

The researchers believe that people can always advocate to remind

others to be more alert about the different reasons on why these fires are

occurring although it is really inevitable. Proper maintenance of different

equipment, regular checks, and proper disposal of highly flammable

substances are just one of them.

In line with that, the researchers will aspire to track down the most

common causes of fire in the municipality of Sta. Ana in Pampanga by

consulting the Bureau of Fire Protection and fire professionals. They also

aspire to spread awareness on the different ways to mitigate them.

This study aims to spread awareness on the different causes of fire in

Sta. Ana, Pampanga, specifically, the researchers are guided by the following

objectives:

1. to track down the most common causes of fire in Sta. Ana, Pampanga;

2. to spread awareness about the possible ways in mitigating fire; and

3. to make appeals and suggestions to the government officials and/or

organizations to better make programs to help strengthen the fire prevention.

The Setting of the Study

The study will be conducted on the Bureau of Fire Protection Office in

Sta. Ana, Pampanga.

 Illustration 1: Image of the Fire Volunteers in BFP Sta. Ana, Pampanga

Conceptual Framework

Drawn from the conceptual framework, the researchers come up with

the following paradigm, which give direction to this study. This is shown in the

Input-Process-Output presented below.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

The The following are To know on

respondents the process to how to track

of the study collect data; the primary

will be the  construction source of

fire officers of interview fire in Sta.

in Sta. Ana questions; Ana,

Bureau of  administerin Pampanga

Fire g of interview and to know

Protection. among the the

respondents; processes
 The number and and ways in

of fire cases  collection mitigating

and report in and analysis fire

Sta. Ana, of data.

Pampanga

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to know and identify the primary source of fire cases in

Sta. Ana, Pampanga and to know the processes and ways of mitigating it.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What are the most common causes of fire in Sta. Ana, Pampanga?

2. What are the advantages of knowing the primary source of fire in Sta.

Ana, Pampanga?

3. What are the preventive measures that people or residents can do to

help mitigate fire?

4. How does knowing the primary source of fire help in mitigating fire?
 5. What are the programs or activities of the local government in helping

to mitigate fire and how does it affect the affected residents?

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The objective of the study is to know the primary source of fire in Sta.

Ana, Pampanga and to know the ways and processes on how to mitigate it.

The scope of the study will focus on the data available on the Bureau

of Fire Protection office in Sta. Ana, Pampanga and the fire volunteers will

serve as the respondents of the study. Ten (10) fire volunteers will be the one

too be interviewed by the researchers.

Furthermore, those who haven’t experienced being involved in any fire

incident in the mentioned municipality will not be one of the respondents of

the study since their knowledge regarding the focus of the study is not yet

enough to suffice the need off the study.

Significance of the Study

This part of the research will present and discuss the benefits of the

study. The things that the significant individuals will get from this study.

The significance of this study will focus on the idea of providing

knowledge to the people regarding the ways on how to mitigate fire and the

primary causes of fire in the municipality of Sta. Ana in Pampanga.

Furthermore, this study will also provide information not only to the

respondents of this study but also to the residents of the mentioned locale.

The following individuals will be the one who will benefit from this

study:
To the Students. This study will give the students the necessary information,

especially the criminology students, who will soon be serving the country in all

forms of danger or natural calamities. This study will provide the students the

knowledge needed in helping to mitigate any fire incident.

To the School Administrators. This study will be beneficial to the school

administrators because it will provide the enough knowledge and this study

will be an eye-opener to the school administrators to conduct fire drills,

seminars, symposium, and other related activities to prepare the students and

the people in the event that there will be an incident of fire.

To the Local Government. This study will be beneficial to the local

government officials and local government unit because this study will provide

them knowledge regarding the ways on how to prevent or mitigate fire. This

study will also give them idea on the possible activities and programs that the

local government can do in helping to mitigate such occurrence.

To the BFP Sta. Ana. This study will help the mentioned organization to

focus more on the prevention of fire especially in the municipality of Sta. Ana

in Pampanga. This study will also give them knowledge on the possible and

feasible activities and programs that the mentioned organization can do in

mitigating fire.

To the Future Researchers. This study will be beneficial to the future

researchers for this will be their basis in further expanding this study for future

purposes and for the growth of knowledge.

Definition of Terms

BFP – Bureau of Fire Protection

Fire – a natural occurrence usually caused by electrical wirings, forgotten

open stove, which puts establishments and houses into ashes.

Mitigate – to eliminate or to prevent something from happening.

 CHAPTER 2

Review of Related Literature and Studies

This chapter includes the ideas, finished thesis, generalizations or

conclusions, methodologies and others. Those that were included in this

chapter helps in familiarizing information that are relevant and similar to the

present study.

Foreign literature

According to Britannica (2022), fire is defined as the rapid burning of

combustible material with the evolution of heat and, in most cases, the

presence of flame. A fire can start in an instant and continue to rage until its

fuel source is used up, destroying homes and property, causing injuries and

taking lives within a matter of seconds. Both people and the environment can

be protected by being aware of the danger’s true impact, its common causes,

and the preventative measures available to stop it. According to the National

Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fire departments respond to over 350,000

home structure fires a year nationwide, causing almost $7 billion in direct

damage. Far more tragic than property destruction, is the more than 2,500

civilian fire deaths and 12,300 civilian fire injuries annually. It’s crucial to have

a basic awareness of the various types of flames, how they spread, and the

related dangers to look for in order to prevent a tragic fire-related loss.

India ranks third in the world for the number of fire events, particularly

in the northern and western parts of the nation, according to the 2018 India
Risk Surveys. The use of wood fuel and charcoal for room heating, the

burning of trash near courtyards, a lack of adequate firefighting infrastructure,

and poor accessibility are common causes of fire tragedies in urban areas

which increases the potential for fire risk occurrence.

In India, there were 11,037 documented cases of fire accidents in

2020, according to the Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India report 2020.

Despite this, India does not have a unified set of laws governing fire safety.

Urban fires have the potential to negatively impact not only the environment

and ecosystem but also human lives, property, and the environment as a

whole because it produces a lot of smoke pollution and releases greenhouse

gases. The increasing frequency of fire accidents and gross violations of

building and fire safety regulations persist despite the increasing fire incident

in the past.

As mentioned by Shokouhi, M., et. al. (2019), every year, a large

number of people lose their lives or become injured seriously as a result of

fires. Fires in buildings pose a great threat to resident safety. The aim of this

systematic review is to identify preventive measures for fire-related injuries in

residential buildings, taking into account associated risk factors. There are

features in residential buildings and attributes among residents that can be

related to fire hazard and fire-related injuries and deaths. The most important

point of this study is to focus on preventive strategies including environmental

modification, promotion of safety rules and changes in risk behavior among

residents. Policy makers should pay more attention to these important issues

in order to promote safety and injury prevention in relation to building fires.

 As explained by Kodur, V., Kumar, P., & Rafi, M. (2019), Buildings

constitute majority of built infrastructure and play a pivotal role in socio-

economic development of a country. Most of the buildings are designed to last

for several decades and provide residential and functional operations to large

number of inhabitants throughout their design life. During this long time-span,

buildings are subjected to several natural (earthquake, hurricane, tsunamis

etc.) and manmade (fire, explosion etc.) hazards which can cause partial or

complete collapse of the building, and incapacitation of building operations.

Such destruction or incapacitation in the event of a hazard can jeopardize the

life safety of inhabitants and can cause significant direct and indirect monetary

losses. Hence, buildings are designed to withstand actions from numerous

anticipated hazards to ensure life and structural safety during their design life,

and fire represents one such extreme hazard that can occur in buildings.

Local Literature

According to Manila Bulletin (2022), the Bureau of Fire Protection

(BFP) revealed that there was a 12.9-percent spike in fire incidents from

January to February compared to the same period last year. In numbers,

that’s 2,103 fire incidents on the first two months of the year compared to

1,863 last year. The increase in fire incidents was attributed to the easing of

restrictions due to the improved coronavirus situation in the country.

The BFP cites loose connections, overloading, pinched wires, and/or

overheated home appliances as leading causes of electrical fires. They have

long been educating consumers on ways to avoid fire incidents: avoid octopus

connections; throw out old power cables, connectors, and even appliances;
and use circuit breakers and fuse boxes. Make sure unused appliances such

as PCs and laptops, electric fans, TV sets, and the like are not left running

when they are not in use, especially when nobody is home. According to

Chavez,C.(2022) a total of 2,619 fire incidents have already been recorded in

the country since January this year. The Bureau of Fire Protection said the

figure is higher compared to a total of 1,812 fire incidents from January to

March last year.

According to (Philippine News Agency, 2022) the number of fire

incidents in the first two months of this year rose by almost 13 percent as

compared to the previous year, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said on

Tuesday. There has been a total of 2,103 fire incidents were recorded in

January and February, an increase of 12.9 percent from only 1,863 incidents

in the same period in 2021 (Annalee A., 2022). She attributed the rise in fire

incidents to the easing of restrictions due to the improved coronavirus

situation in the country.

As mentioned by Ferrer, O. (2021), Fire prevention programs and

education are an important part of keeping a community safe. There are many

hazardous and dangerous materials and activities that happen in day-to-day

work activities. Inspectors working with companies throughout the community

can ensure that they are taking the necessary precautions to keep themselves

and their workers safe. Community fire prevention programs can provide a lot

of positive activities and information to the children, parents, and citizens of a

town or city. These opportunities can provide a base of knowledge about fire

prevention, safety, and risks. The unified Fire Prevention Programs of the

Bureau of Fire Protection in the Philippines varies implementation from one

location to another. This study was conducted to assess the factors and

extent of implementation of Fire Prevention Programs of the Bureau of Fire

Protection of Aparri Fire Station in the year 2016.

It is no stretch to say that consequently, the BFP has its work cut out

for it. To make matters worse, since its creation, the BFP has come under

scrutiny for having gained something of a reputation for corruption and

inefficiency. However, much effort has also been expended over the years to

bring the BFP to the level of competence and professionalism it needs to

properly discharge its duties. (Sanchez, 2013). Considerable knowledge, skill,

and judgment are required to provide quality emergency medical

services. High quality emergency medical services and first responders are an

important part of any health care system. Many studies of pre-

hospital services place greater emphasis on human factors, efficiency

and continuous refinement of standards of practice. (Page, Sbat,

Vasquez, Yalcin, 2013). The lack of trained pre-hospital providers, modern

equipment, and ambulance vehicles accounts for the challenges and

shortcomings to provide quality emergency medical services. The BFP

mission is to prevent and suppress destructive fires, investigate its causes,

give emergency medical and rescue services, and enforce other fire

related laws with the active involvement of the community. Its

purpose is to ensure operational readiness of the EMS team on duty. (BFP

Operational Procedures Manual, 2015)

Foreign Studies

Fire can have critical consequences for human society due to the

damage it causes to buildings and infrastructure (Mohammadreza S.,

Khadijah N, Davod Z., 2019). According to the World Health Organization

(WHO) statistics, fire-induced burns have caused more than 300,000 deaths

annually and 95 percent of which occurs in low- and middle-income countries.

Building fires are seen to pose a serious risk to residents' safety and are

typically brought on by human behavior. Increased injury or death has also

been seen on large residential complexes. Therefore, in order to preserve

human life in the case of a fire, buildings must be properly and safely

designed.

Residential fires constitute a substantial public health problem

globally, causing major fire related injury and morbidity (Samar A., Ediriweera

D., Ian P., 2022). Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease study (GBD

2019) reported nearly 110,000 fire-related deaths globally in 2019 (Vos T., &

Lim S.S. et al 2019). In addition to their high fatality rate, fire-related injuries

are linked to protracted hospital stays and permanent disfigurements that

have an equal negative influence on the injured people's physical and mental

health. Moreover, the high costs of residential fires exceed the damage to

residential properties and are estimated to be nearly 10 times higher than the

actual reported costs (Harvey L.A., & Ghassempour N. et al 2020). To

safeguard people against residential fires, a number of preventive measures

and interventions have been created and put into place. The longitudinal

effectiveness of existing fire prevention interventions varies considerably in

terms of enhanced residential fire safety, reduced frequency of fire incidents,

and more importantly, decreased fire-related injuries and casualties (Samar

A., Ediriweera D., Ian P., 2022).

 A study by Nasiriani, K., et. al. (2019), A total of 5,613 published

articles were examined, of which 30 were finally found to meet the inclusion

criteria. The findings of the study were included in two main groups of

preventive measures and risk factors for residential building fires and related

injuries. Regarding preventive measures, the factors to reduce the risk of fire-

related injuries raised in the studies under review included rule amendments,

changes and modification of the environment, behavior change such as

emergency evacuation during fire occurrence, improvements to emergency

medical services, and awareness-raising. Also, many of the studies showed

that areas with a large number of young children, older people, people with

physical and mental disabilities, alcohol and drug addicts, smokers, single-

family households and low-income families were particularly at risk of fire-

related injuries and deaths.

In his study “Assessment of Fire Safety and Evacuation Management

in Nursing Homes”. (John Moore 2012). The overall finding of the survey of

the seventeen nursing homes was that the fire safety management and

emergency evacuation planning was such that in the event of a fire serious

injury could occur together with a loss of life. For example, only two out of the

seventeen nursing homes had an adequate fire safety management system in

place which included procedures and arrangements for the evacuation of the

residents. The fire safety emergency and evacuation procedures regarding

the involvement of the fire brigade was found to be low. Most of the nursing

homes in the survey had no adequate plan of action for managing fire safety.

None of the nursing homes had planned for mission continuity in the event of

a serious fire. The fire safety management was found to be reactive rather
than active. The nursing homes, with the exception of two, in the survey had

not undertaken fire risk assessments and none had a monitoring and

reporting system for fire safety

Local Studies

Fire accidents are greatly affected by external environments, such as

weather and surrounding buildings or hazards, making them difficult to control

and prevent (Kim J., Youm S., Shan Y., and Kim J.,2021) Although modern

fire use is extremely complex, its origins were probably quite straightforward:

according to a widespread biological theory, there is only one fundamental

selective pressure for a new evolution of this kind . For humans, fire became

vital for a variety of reasons, such as cooking, warmth, and protection, but the

majority of these require some kind of control.

Numerous preventive measures and interventions have been

researched and put into place to protect people from residential fires.

Regarding increased residential fire safety, a decrease in the frequency of fire

occurrences, and, more crucially, a reduction in fire-related injuries and

fatalities, the longitudinal success of current fire preventive interventions

varies greatly. (Samar A., Ediriweera D., Ian P., 2022). According to

estimates, 265 000 people die as a result of fires each year, and in the

majority of industrialized nations, the majority of fire-related fatalities and

injuries take place in homes. It is well recognized that the recorded numbers

of house fires, fire-related injuries, and fire-related fatalities greatly understate

the actual total. (HARVEY L.A., & GHASSEMPOUR N. ET AL 2020).

However, there is a dearth of clear and formal evaluation of the usefulness

and success of current fire prevention

Synthesis

As the researchers have analyzed all the related literatures and

studies mentioned above, the researchers have found out that, the Bureau of

Fire Protection not only in Sta. Ana, Pampanga but also in the entire

Philippines and archipelago that, the system, as well as the programs of the

said agency are working, effective, and efficient to all the Filipino people

because there is and there was a decrease in the number of fire related

incidents in the country.

 CHAPTER 3

Methodology

This chapter presents and explains the methodology, research design,

the subject, the research instrument, validation of research instrument, data

gathering procedure, and statistical treatment.

Research Design

This study is a qualitative type of research. Qualitative research

focuses more on the verbal interpretation of data. Meaning, all data gathered

will be presented thru words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs. No

numerical interpretation of data will be presented in this study.

Furthermore, the researchers will utilize the use of Case Study as the

research design. Case study is a research design under the qualitative

research which talks about the in-depth understanding or study of a person,

group, event, scenario, or occurrence.

A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain

concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject.

It allows you to explore the key characteristics, meanings, and implications of

the case.

The Sources of Data

The source of data is from the 15 selected fire volunteers form the

Bureau of fire Protection office in Sta. Ana, Pampanga.

The 15 fire volunteers were chosen thru the application of purposive or

judgmental sampling technique which is under the non-probability sampling.

This type of sampling technique focuses on the respondents who have

prior knowledge, who are expert and professional on the field of the study.

Purposive sampling, also known as judgmental, selective, or subjective

sampling, is a form of non-probability sampling in which researchers rely on

their own judgment when choosing members of the population to participate in

their surveys.

The Research Instrument

This part of the chapter will talk about the specific data gathering tool or

instrument that the researchers will us e or utilize to gather all the data

needed for the study.

The researchers will use interview as the research instrument in

collecting or gathering data.

An interview is a qualitative research method that relies on asking

questions in order to collect data. Interviews involve two or more people, one

of whom is the interviewer asking the questions. There are several types of

interviews, often differentiated by their level of structure. Specifically, the

researchers will utilize the use of unstructured interview.

 An unstructured interview is a data collection method that relies on

asking participants questions to collect data on a topic. Also known as non-

directive interviewing, unstructured interviews do not have a set pattern and

questions are not arranged in advance.

Validation of the Research Instrument

As for the validation of the research instrument, the researchers need

to craft first the unstructured interview and come up with interview question.

After which, the approval of the research adviser or teacher is needed and

vital. Should there be any changes on the interview questions, the

researchers need to apply any correction for the further development of the

unstructured interview. Lastly, the researchers need to secure an approval

from a validator, it can be a grammarian or a research teacher or professor to

validate the research instrument which is needed for the administering of

interview among the respondents of the study.

Data Gathering Procedure

After the validation of the research instrument, the researrchers need

to secure a permit coming from the research teacher or adviser giving the

researchers the permission to conduct the study and administer the interview.

Furthermore, the researchers need to seek approval from the head of

the Bureau of Fire Protection office in Sta. Ana, Pampanga. After which, the
researchers will then administer the interview and collect all data after

administering such.

Data Gathering Method

After the retrieval of the questionnaire, the researchers will then apply a

specific data analysis tool in analyzing all data gathered and collected.

Present all data thru tables for the data to be more organized and

systematized.

The application of a specific and appropriate data analysis tool or

technique is needed in interpreting all data gathered for the researchers to be

guided as well.

Data Analysis / Statistical Treatment

The use of a specific data analysis tool is needed to be able to interpret

all gathered data correctly and precisely.

The researchers will utilize the use of Coding as the data analysis tool.

Coding is the process of labeling and organizing your qualitative data

to identify different themes and the relationships between them. When coding

customer feedback, you assign labels to words or phrases that represent

important (and recurring) themes in each response.

The researchers will use coding because no information of the

respondents shall be presented in the study. The use of legends and

representations is very important to protect the privacy and security of the

respondents. Furthermore, the idea of anonymity and confidentiality will be

observed as well.
 References

Batara, J. A. (2018, March 1). What Is The Most Common Cause Of Building

Fires In The Philippines? Ph.theasianparent.com.

https://ph.theasianparent.com/top-3-causes-of-fire-in-the-

philippines#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20most%20common%20cause%20of

%20building

Caliwan, C. L. (2022, March 1). Fire incidents up by almost 13% in first 2

months of 2022. Www.pna.gov.ph. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1168780

Corona, H. (2022, August 22). Forest Fires - An Overview | Fire Prevention |

Fire Prediction & Analysis. Boreal Forest. https://www.borealforest.org/forest-

fire/#:~:text=Forest%20fires%20always%20start%20in%20one%20of%20two

Merriam Webster Dictionary. (2019). Definition of FIRE. Merriam-

Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fire
Newsdesk. (2019, March 25). Infographic: Top 5 Causes of Fire in the

Philippines. PropertyAsia.ph Newsroom.

https://www.propertyasia.ph/newsroom/2019/03/25/infographic-top-5-causes-

fire-philippines/

Scott, A. (2018, June 1). When Did Humans Discover Fire? Time.

https://time.com/5295907/discover-fire/#:~:text=The%20British

%20archeologist%20John%20Gowlett%20has%20described%20the

Tupas, E. (2021, March 6). 2 hurt, 30 families homeless in Sta. Ana fire.

Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/03/06/2082306/2-hurt-30-

families-homeless-sta-ana-fire