DAVAO City fire incidents surged by 30.5% from January to October, with official tallying expected to climb further once the recent massive blaze in Barangay Leon Garcia Sr., Agdao, is included, local fire authorities said.
Speaking at the Davao Peace and Security Press Corps briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday, Oct. 28, Davao City Fire District (DCFD) spokesperson FSInsp. Frances Marie Sendrijas confirmed the sharp increase in structural and residential fires.
“From January to October this year, 2026, we already have 778 fire incidents compared to last year of 596. We really increased to 30.5%…possibly it will shoot up after the recent fire incidents,” she added.
The fire in Leon Garcia Sr. alone incurred an estimated ₱280 million in property damage and displaced more than 1,000 families.
Sendrijas urged residents to strictly observe fire safety precautions to prevent further tragedies, expressing hope that the city’s total fire count would stabilize before the year ends.
A wind-driven fire gutted a densely populated residential community in Agdao District on Thursday, Oct. 15, displacing an estimated 1,000 families and prompting emergency responders to declare a Task Force Alpha response level before extinguishing the blaze early Friday morning.
According to the Bureau of Fire Protection-Davao City Fire District, the incident started at 5:06 p.m. in Purok Coreas, Sitio Bakal, Carpenter, Barangay Leon Garcia Sr. Fueled by strong coastal winds and light building materials, the flames rapidly spread through the neighborhood.
The BFP raised the response level to 2nd Alarm at 5:13 p.m., 3rd Alarm at 5:25 p.m., and 5th Alarm by 5:34 p.m.
By 8:16 p.m., fire authorities escalated the response to Task Force Alpha, dispatching at least 15 fire trucks from 14 fire stations across Davao City alongside volunteer fire brigades to contain the rapidly spreading flames.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control at 8:49 p.m. and officially declared a “fire out” at 1:20 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 16. No casualties, injuries, or fatalities were reported during the incident.
