Seventeen houses were gutted by fire believed caused by unattended lighted candles in the cities of Bacolod and San Carlos, Negros Occidental, Tuesday night that left about P1.1 million in damage to properties.

San Carlos City fire marshal Senior Fire Officer 4 Jonathan Badel Jr. said they were informed through two-way radio at about 7:15 p.m. that fire had broken out at Sitio Talave in Brgy. Punaw.

He said they immediately sent their fire trucks to the area and were assisted by those from Candoni town and the Guihulngan City fire station. Six houses were already on fire when they arrived. They also had difficulty penetrating the area due to narrow pathways, he said.

Investigation showed that the fire started at the residence of Ronaldo Cajuelan where one of his relatives had left a lighted candle unattended at their altar, Bandel said.

Aside from Cajuelan’s house, the fire also destroyed 12 other residences and damaged that of Mario Miraflor, he also said.

Bandel added that the fire, that had reached first alarm status, was put out at about 8:50 p.m. and caused P100,000 in damage to properties but no casualties and injuries were reported.

The affected families are temporarily staying at the Barangay Punaw Elementary school.

In Bacolod City, two houses were razed to the ground and two others were damaged by fire at a residential compound in Purok Mahogany, Brgy. Mandalagan, at about 8 p.m.

Investigation conducted by Senior Fire Officer 2 Harry Fernandez and Senior Fire Officer 2 Gerson Ganava showed that the fire was also caused by an unattended lighted candle at the house of Shim Abao. It also destroyed the residence of Natividad Abao, and damaged the houses of Jona Abao and Pastor Aaron Abao.

Damage to properties was estimated at P1 million. The fire was put out at about 8:50 p.m. with no reported injuries.

In a television interview, Aaron Abao complained that the fire was not controlled immediately as the fire trucks could not easily enter the area because of culvert pipes placed by the landowners in the middle of the street leading to their place.

He said the firefighters had to use another road that was farther and that delayed the firefighters work.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday said the city cannot just remove the obstructions put up by the landowner at the road leading to the area where the fire happened because there is a case pending in court over it.

Leonardia appealed to the owners of the lot to allow the people to pass through the property for humanitarian reasons.*APN

back to top