• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A fire hit 81 houses at an informal settlers’ area in Purok Kagaykay, Barangay 2 in Bacolod City early morning Wednesday, July 31.
Some 73 houses were destroyed while eight others were partially damaged, according to the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP).
The houses were occupied by 81 families composed of 276 individuals.
Initial investigation indicated that the fire was triggered by an unattended improvised mosquito repellant from the abandoned house of Monaliza Magbanua, being occupied by a construction worker identified only as a certain Waldo.
He had been scolded by his neighbors several times for burning an egg tray to serve as a mosquito repellant.
The BFP estimated the damage at P1.4 million.
The blaze was placed under control by responding firefighters more than an hour after it was reported to the BFP past 3 o’clock in the morning.
One of the fire victims, Emma Tesoro, in an interview with RMN DYHB claimed that unidentified persons took advantage of the fire by ransacking her residence.
She lost P20,000 in cash and 14 cellular phones, which were pawned to her.
The Bacolod City government, through the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the City Department of Social Services and Development, delivered food packs, hygiene kits, water jugs to the affected residents. | GB
