Fire razes house in resettlement site

MABALACAT CITY -- A morning fire razed on Wednesday a residence and other properties worth P300,000 at the Mawaque Resettlement Center in Barangay Sapang Biabas here.

Superintendent Ferdinand Perez, city’s police chief, said the fire department is still evaluating what caused the fire that destroyed the house owned by Lou Esguerra along 15th Street in said resettlement.

Perez said no one was hurt in the blaze that reportedly broke out from a bedroom of Esguerra’s residence around 9:30 a.m.

Authorities ruled out reports that a cellular phone left charging at the bedroom of the house caused the fire, which was contained around 10:10 a.m.

Sapang Biabas chairman Saldo Garcia said the firemen are still conducting an investigation to determine the real cause of the fire.

The village chief lauded the volunteer fire brigades of Dee Hwa Liong Foundation and Tipco, and the Mabalacat Fire Department for responding on time and preventing the fire from spreading to other residences.

Upon learning about the incident, Garcia said he immediately dispatched his Bantay Bayan members and other barangay leaders to prevent looting and any untoward incidents.