THE Bureau of Fire Protection-Davao (BFP-Davao) disclosed in their initial assessment that the two-hour fire that razed around 20 houses in Barangay 34-D has yielded an estimated P525,000 worth of damage.
The fire incident, which occurred along Padre Gomez Street, Purok 3 on Monday afternoon, February 26, was originated in the residence of a certain Vivian Mainit.
However, no fatalities and injured individuals were reported.
Based on the fire report provided by Cayetano Bangoy Sr. Fire Station, 12 houses were affected, including a partially damaged chapel nearby.
Meanwhile, the City Social Welfare Development Office (CSWDO) has already assisted 71 affected families that are currently sheltered in evacuation centers.
According to a police officer who first responded in the area, a fallen electrical post could have started the blaze.
Barangay Captain Eillen Khlair Guevarra also reiterated this information, adding that most of the houses damaged were made up of light materials.
Previously, Davao City Fire District-Bureau of Fire Protection-Davao (BFP-Davao) spokesperson SFO4 Ramil Gillado said that most fire-related incidents have been recorded in slum or residential areas due to electrical short circuits.
“Nanguna gayud ang electrical short circuits niini sa mga residential areas nato kaning mga squatter. Kasagaran usab nahitabo kini tungod sa kainit sa mga gamit, mga wala mabantayi na mga appliances ug mga binuhatan sa mga tao particularly ang kaning mga bata nga gadula og kalayo ug nagalabay og mga sigarilyo bisan asa,” he said.
(Electrical short circuit is the leading cause of fire, mostly in squatter areas. It also usually happens due to overheating of appliances, unattended appliances, and people's actions, particularly children playing with fire and cigarette butts thrown everywhere). DEF