The Bureau of Fire Protection said yesterday it was still investigating the cause of the blaze that destroyed several establishments, Tuesday dawn, at corner Perdices and Sta. Rosa streets, in Dumaguete City.

City fire chief, Arnulfo Sayson, said the number of affected structures increased to 20, from an initial of 15.

He said the origin of fire could not be ascertained yet, because when they arrived at the fire scene, the Color Kingdom Painthaus where the incident allegedly started, has been destroyed by fire.

No casualty was reported during the conflagration, the BFP said.

Sayson said they are probing the cause of fire considering that past incidents indicated the occurrence of robbery and arson.

He said most of the affected buildings were made of light materials that caused the quick spread of fire. Dumaguete Mayor Agustin Perdices urged the BFP to dig deeper into the incident since most of the fires that hit the city have occurred at dawn.

These incidents took place during the break of dawn when the weather was supposed to be cool, Perdices said.

Meanwhile, he appealed for cooperation from the owners of vintage buildings to check on their electrical connections that might cause another fire.

He said fires greatly affect businessmen, especially those who have not insured their structures. The BFP has estimated the fire damage at P4 million.*MA

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