Friday, October 31, 2008 Fire caused by candle raze 15 houses By Annabelle L. Ricalde
A 30-minute fire caused by an unattended candle gutted 15 houses in Cagayan de Oro City Thursday evening, a fire official said.
Richard Baang, acting Cagayan de Oro chief fire marshal, said the fire started at the house of one Caridad Nabulan, particularly in the bedroom of one of her boarders.
He said the fire started at 8:40 p.m. in Zone 7, Barangay Bulua. It happened barely two days after a pre-dawn inferno hit Ororama Mall in Lapasan last Wednesday.
Baang identified Nabulan's boarder as a certain "Sano". He was not around when the fire engulfed his rented room.
He believed that a lit candle was left inside one of the rented rooms.
Baang said the fire quickly spread to nearby houses that are mostly made of light materials.
Investigators learned that Nabulan's boarders started using candles in their rooms after their electric line was cut off early this week for non-payment of dues.
Responding firemen from Kauswagan, Carmen, Lapasan and Chinese community declared fire out an hour later.
The damage to property was initially placed at P150,000.
