• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Twenty-three families, comprising of 91 individuals, were displaced after a fire hit a residential area in Bagong Dalan, Purok San Jose 2, Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City, Sept. 1.
The Bacolod Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) said the affected residents are currently sheltered and receiving emergency assistance at the Sum-ag Gymnasium.
The Bureau of Fire Protection-Bacolod reported that the blaze resulted in at least P120,500 in damage, with nine houses destroyed and five damaged across a 482-square-meter area.
Fire arson investigator, FO2 Anthony Val Isansa, said the conflagration originated in a room in the house of Ernie Mahilum, with electrical ignition caused by arcing from extension cord as probable cause.
He added that based on their site assessment, while a few houses had official electric meters connected to the Negros Power pole, most neighboring homes illegally tapped into those metered lines. | TMD
