Fire Safety Practices and Equipment for Filipino Homes

Discover essential fire safety practices, fire protection equipment, and effective ways to safeguard your home from fire hazards and related risks.

March 25, 2025
Emergency Preparedness, Reliable Cares, Reliable Resources

In 2024, the Bureau of Fire Protection recorded a total of 18,217 fire incidents nationwide, costing over PhP 13 billion in property damages, 338 lives lost, and more than 1,300 injured. While not comparable to the costs flooding and storms do to Filipinos every year, every single life lost or hurt is one too many—and fires barely leave any property behind to salvage.

Prevention is always best when it comes to disasters, so here are several fire safety practices and equipment to help you prevent or lessen the effects of fires happening on your property.

Fire Safety Practices

To help reduce the risk of fire and protect the people and property you value, start with these essential fire safety practices at home:

Check Your Wirings and Connections: Mishaps due to electricity are one of the leading causes of property fires. To prevent this, regularly inspect your wiring. Overloading outlets by “octopus wiring” should be avoided, too, and make it a habit to unplug appliances not in use.
Safety In The Kitchen: Kitchens and cooking are also another leading cause of fires. Make sure your kitchens are properly ventilated, never leave a stove unattended for long, make sure the gas is shut off when you’re done cooking, and keep flammable materials well away from the cooking area.
Proper Handling of Flammables: Always keep flammable materials like lighter fluid, aerosols, and matches in a secure location, away from easy access by children. If candles are lit, make sure they are away from any potential flammable material (like curtains or paper documents) and are never left unattended.
Planning and Education: Especially in big properties, having an evacuation plan and clearly marked exits can help save lives. Educating your family and staff, especially children, on proper fire safety will go a long way to preventing accidental fires.

Fire Protection For Your Home

Here are a few pieces of equipment you can install in your home or property to help you deal with fire hazards.

Fire Extinguishers: One of the most readily available fire hazard mitigation equipment around. But know that fires are classified according to their source and require a specific extinguisher, like Class A for ordinary combustibles, Class C for electrical fires, and even Class K for kitchen fires.
Escape Ladders: These come in handy for multi-storey houses and facilities, allowing for quick and easy egress in case of a fire. Placement of the ladders can be most effective as part of a well-designed escape plan.
Detectors: Smoke detectors are often the first line of defense against fires and are often linked to alarms and sprinkler systems. You could also install carbon monoxide detectors for any leaks of this colorless gas, not only to preempt possible fires but also to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be fatal.
Sprinkler System: An excellent investment for property owners, sprinklers can help extinguish accidental fires or at least keep them under control until fire protection services arrive.
Fireproof Storage: In case of a fire, you might only have minutes to get out. So you don’t have to worry about important documents or items if disaster strikes, you can keep them in secure fireproof storage, like a safe, so you will only have to worry about getting yourself and your loved ones out during an emergency.

Fire Insurance Coverage

You can also protect your property and family by getting fire insurance coverage. While you can do all you can to prevent or mitigate fire hazards, other external variables could bypass all your preparation. It’s similar to you being one of the safest and most defensive drivers on the road but you can still figure in a road accident because of some irresponsible driver.

To know more, check out our guide on fire insurance here: Fire Protection for Your Property: Reduce Risks with the Right Coverage

We at Reliable Insurance Brokers offer you Property, Commercial, and Industrial All-Risk Insurance that provides comprehensive protection, including fire coverage. We are committed to ensuring that you have the right coverage for your peace of mind whether you're securing a family home, a business property, or industrial assets.

To learn more about our Property Insurance, visit our product guide here: Navigating Property Insurance

Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can assist you in keeping safe from fire hazards and disasters.