At least 24 houses were damaged in a fire that hit Purok 3-A, New Society Village, Barangay Ilang, Bunawan District early yesterday morning.
This as officials vowed to charge a man who claimed to be a government worker who interfered in the operation of the firefighters.
Senior Fire Officer 2 Ramil Gillado, the chief of the investigator section of the Bureau of Fire and Protection XI, said the fire started at the house occupied by Josephine Lamoste at around 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
Because most of the houses in the community are made of light materials, the fire immediately scattered, Gillado said.
Firefighters put the fire under control by 8:50 a.m.
Gillado said firefighters were having difficulty entering the fire scene due to the narrow road.
There was no reported casualty in the fire that reportedly caused by electrical .
Probers estimated the damage at P875,000.
The figure of affected residence was not disclosed.
Meanwhile, Fire Inspector Cyrus Medina, BFP XI spokesperson, said they are tracing the identity of a man who interfered in the operation.
The man reportedly demanded that firefighters follow his command, and he even assaulted one of the firemen.
“There are some people who really want firefighters to prioritize their house or their friend’s houses,” Medina said.
But Medina said interfering firefighting operation is a a violation of the Fire Code.
“It is one of the prohibited acts.”
He said they have taken a photo of the man and they will trace it at the barangay hall.
