Fire hits 81 Bacolod houses due to improvised mosquito repellant
Inquirer file photo
BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines — A fire that was believed to have been triggered by burning cardboard egg trays used as improvised mosquito repellants hit 81 houses at Purok Kagaykay, Barangay 2 here at 3:26 a.m. Wednesday, July 31.
The fire destroyed 73 houses and damaged eight, mostly made of light materials, said Superintendent Jenny Mae Masip, Bacolod fire marshal.
Estimated damage was P1.4 million, the Bureau of Fire Protection-Bacolod reported.
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About 344 residents were affected.
The fire started from the house of Monaliza Magbanua where a person identified only as alias “Waldo” also live, Masip said.
The fire was believed to have been caused by burning cardboard egg trays “Waldo” used as improvised mosquito repellants.
Masip said neighbors saw “Waldo” pouring water to put out the fire but it quickly spread as the house and all around it were made of light, highly combustible materials.
“We are still very fortunate that there were no casualties or persons injured considering that the fire started early in the morning when most people were asleep,” she said.
Pauline Joy Ismael, 20, said they were asleep when they heard people shouting that there was a fire.
She said they just ran, nothing from their home was saved.
Emma Tesoro, 64, said thieves stole 14 cellular phones and P20,000 from her store that was damaged by the fire. A house next door that she was renting out was destroyed.
Tersoro, who had worked in Kuwait for 10 years, began residing in Purok Kagaykay about three years ago and used her savings to start her store, where neighbors also pawned their cellular phones and borrowed money.
The P20,000 stolen was her rolling capital, she said.
The Bacolod City government provided the affected families with food aid, hygiene kits and water.
Those whose houses were destroyed would receive P15,000 each, damaged, P10,000 each and house renters and sharers, P5,000 each, the Bacolod social welfare officer Alma Gustilo said.
