Fire destroys 300 houses in Samar

TACLOBAN CITY – Fire of still unknown origin gutted at least 300 houses past 2 a.m. on Tuesday in Barangay 6, Catbalogan City, Samar province.

No one was hurt during the more than four-hour fire along Del Rosario Street that displaced more than 1,500 people.

FO1 Erwin Limbauan of the Bureau of Fire Protection in Catbalogan City, said that based on their initial investigation, the fire started from the house of Rosita Tizon and spread to neighboring houses that were made of light materials.

“Based on the account of the witnesses, the fire started from the house of Tizon. What we have initially gathered was the house had no electricity of its own but just tapped from a neighbor’s house,” said Limbauan, in a phone interview.

Tizon’s daughter Lovely, who occupied the house, was not around when the fire broke out.

Limbauan said Lovely might have failed to unplug the connection which caused the fire.

“But we are still conducting our investigation to really determine the origin of the fire,” Limbauan said.

The city government has identified the Samar National School as the evacuation center of the displaced families.

Immediate relief assistance like food, water, medicine, among others, were given to the fire victims.