LEGAZPI CITY –– The family of a retired policeman survived the onslaught of Supertyphoon “Rolly” but was left homeless in a fire caused by an unattended lit candle, which broke out on Wednesday night, days after power remained cut in the city.
Senior Fire Officer 2 Lito Patricio, chief of intelligence and investigation division of the Legazpi City Fire Station, said the fire that started around 9:45 p.m. destroyed the house owned by Domingo Alvarez in Barangay Gogon.
“The candle that was lit inside a jar left in the bedroom may have rolled and started the fire,” Patricio said.
Rolly’s strong winds, which peaked at 260 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 300 km/h, downed power lines in Albay on Sunday, Nov. 1. It will take at least two weeks to energize Legazpi and about two months for the whole province, officials, said.
No one was hurt in the fire that was put out at 11:10 p.m.
Property damage was placed at P1.7 million, Patricio said.