Fire Razes Ancestral House in Bacolod

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Bacolod is investigating an electrical ignition due to arcing as the possible cause of a fire that gutted an ancestral house in Purok Sampaguita 3, Barangay Singcang-Airport, on Tuesday night.

The fire broke out at around 9:33 p.m., causing an estimated PHP1.35 million worth of damages.

Fire Supt. Jenny Mae Masip, Bacolod City fire marshal, said the blaze originated from a room in the basement of the two-story house.

The fire quickly spread, engulfing the entire structure, which was built in the 1940s. Masip noted that the house, owned by Ma. Cecelia Javelona, was unoccupied at the time. Javelona’s child, who lives nearby, would occasionally check the property.

The house was constructed with light materials, though it had a concrete floor, Masip added.

Firefighters declared the fire out at 9:50 p.m. No injuries were reported.