A fire broke out in a parking area for trucks in Barangay Colo, Dinalupihan, Bataan, Friday morning, a village official reported.
Colo village chief, Punong Barangay Ariel Cruz, told this reporter the fire started at around 9:45 am when somebody burned some trash for their mini eggplant and bitter gourd plantation that later developed into a huge fire burning several used tires and several trucks owned by a private company of the said place.
“Nagsimula sa simpleng siga lang ng apoy po at pinapausukan daw ang tanim na mga talong at amplaya. Di napansin na lumaki na ang apoy at nsunog mga gulong na nakaimbak pati apat na truck 6 wheeler po n trucks nasunog ang likurang parte,” PB Cruz narrated thru Facebook Messenger.
Firefighters and personnel from the Metro Bataan Development Authority (MBDA) immediately responded in minutes and the fire was reportedly put out at 10 am, according to Cruz after he called MBDA’s 911 Hotline.
The burning of garbage in one’s backyard is among the common practices the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) hopes to put an end to following several agreement with several cities in some areas to minimize toxic emissions from household trash.
In the Philippines, according to published accounts from DOST, it is common to see clouds of smoke rising in fields due to leaves being burned. This is an abhorrent practice that has been causing thousands of Filipinos to suffer from lung diseases like asthma, lung cancer, and heart disease. The government is losing millions of pesos in hospitalization expenses and lost productivity due to people getting sick from the smoke.
The smoke from leaf fires is made up of many tiny particles that can penetrate deep into our lungs and cause the most health damage. People living near the area can develop coughing, wheezing, chest pain, and difficulty of breathing. The symptoms may appear a few days after exposure. (Photos from PB Ariel Cruz)