Fire gobbles 10 houses in Victorias City

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Investigators from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Victorias in Negros Occidental are exploring the possibility that an electrical fault caused the blaze that razed 10 houses at Ditching Subdivision, Barangay V, last Monday.

Fire Officer 1 (FO1) Dave Kevin Duaban, the arson investigator on the case, reported that nine houses were completely destroyed, while another was partially damaged.

“The fire originated around 2:54 p.m. from a vulcanizing shop,” Duaban stated. According to him, the owner of the shop and his two grandchildren were at home when the fire erupted. The shop, he noted, is located directly in front of their house.

Duaban explained that the fire quickly spread to the adjacent houses, which were primarily constructed of light materials. He also mentioned that strong winds played a role in the rapid spread of the fire.

Additional fire stations from nearby areas assisted BFP-Victorias. Duaban revealed that 16 families were affected by the fire and are now temporarily housed in the barangay gymnasium.

The fire caused an estimated P750,000 in damages. “Fire out was declared at 4:08 p.m.,” he said.

Investigations into the exact cause of the fire are ongoing.

In response to the disaster, the city government has already provided assistance to those households affected by the fire.