More than 200 families are now homeless after three fire incidents hit the city yesterday.
The first fire hit an urban poor community in Punta Dumalag, a coastal sitio in Barangay Matina Aplaya, Talomo District at 8:26 a.m.
Based on the investigation of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the fire damaged 133 houses in Purok 2, affecting 159 families.
Senior Fire Oficer 3 Ramil Gillado, BFP’s regional chief investigation, said the fire started at the house of a certain Maricel Barcenas.
Because the house was made of light materials, the fire immediately spread to nearby houses.
Gillado said Junrey Lape, 30, suffered laceration due to a fallen glass shard on his left leg when he tried to assist the fire victims.
The fire was under control at 9:31 a.m. and declared fire out by 11:07 a.m.
An electrical arching was the cause of the fire that damaged around P1.3 million.
In Tugbok District, 70 houses were also razed in a relocation site in Barangay Sto Nino.
The fire, according to SFO2 Manoleto Compendio of Mintal Fire Station, started at the house of Banjie Fernandez in Purok 23, Talipapa at 1 p.m. yesterday.
An electrical short circuit was pointed as the cause of fire. The fire was declared out almost an hour later.
Around 3 p.m., another fire hit along the highway in Panacan. The fire damaged the structure of a canteen.
Last week, 150 houses were also razed by fire in Isla Verde, Barangay 23-C, Poblacion District, also a coastal community.
By Rhoda Grace B. Saron and Julianne A. Suarez
