A FIRE broke out in an interior portion of Sitio Alumnos, Barangay Basak San Nicolas yesterday morning, leaving 32 families and 118 individuals homeless.
A volunteer firefighter was also hurt.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 7 received the alarm at 11:45 a.m. and placed it under control at 12:15 p.m.
Thirteen houses burned down while six others were damaged. Damage to properties was pegged at P200,000.
According to SFO1 Edwin Handayan, the fire started from the two-storey house of Rechie Resurreccion, 26, who was at the ground floor when the fire started.
“Ni-overheat ang usa ka Taiwanese ceiling fan niya ni spark (A Taiwanese ceiling fan overheated and sparked),” Handayan said.
The fire was placed under first alarm.
Some of the fire trucks had difficulty reaching the area because the houses were close to each other. Winds also fanned the flames spreading the fire quickly to other houses.
However, residents in the area said they heard Resurreccion’s mother, Brenda, say the fire had something to do with the butane canister her son left behind after cooking.
When interviewed by reporters, Brenda said she was not home when the fire started.
Gane Coming, 56, said he was sure it was butane that caused the fire.
Charger
“Butane ang iyang unang giingon, nihilak siya diri namo kay ang nilung-ag sa iyang anak, nabiyaan (She was crying when she told us it was her son),” he said.
But another resident said it was a cellphone charger left unplugged that caused the fire.
A volunteer firefighter from Barangay Sambag Dos suffered a minor cut.
Basak San Nicolas Barangay Captain Norman Navarro said they will evacuate the affected families to the Basak Community school gym.
“Hangyoon namo ang prinsipal nga among ipasulod karon sa mga rooms nila para convenient para nila ug safety sad sila (We’ll ask the principal to let the families stay inside the classrooms for their safety),” he said.
Navarro said they already banned the use of butane in their barangay because of its dangers, especially that some of the houses were made of light materials.
But the residents continued using it since it’s affordable.
“Amo na silang gi-discourage nga mogamit ana. Sukad pa gyud sa una (We discourage them from using butane),” he said.
He said he called for an emergency meeting with the council to release an aid to the affected families.
Last May 26, a dawn fire in the same barangay claimed the life of a 16-year-old boy. The fire was caused by a candle the boy lit in honor of his father who just died.
A fire also hit barangay Tabunok, Talisay City yesterday dawn.
Fire officials are still trying to determine the cause of fire that destroyed Gala Wood Furniture in Sitio Mananga 1, Barangay Tabunok at 12:58 a.m.
Chief Insp. Randy Mendaros, Talisay City Fire Marshal, said they raised the fire alarm to Task Force Alpha as the furniture store is situated near other buildings and houses.
Task Force Alpha is when fire departments from other local government units are obliged to respond.
Only the furniture store was destroyed, with damage to properties estimated at P300,000.
Mendaros said no one was inside the furniture house when the fire broke out.
Mendaros said that for now, they are still interrogating Junior Pedro Galang, the owner of the furniture store, to determine what caused the fire.