Retired cop’s house burns in Roxas City

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — The house of a recently deceased retired police officer was razed by fire Wednesday afternoon, July 8, in Sitio Pamumbongan, Barangay Milibili, Roxas City.

No one was injured when the two-story concrete house of retired police officer Crispin Azarcon, 67, caught fire.

According to Marry Lou, no one was inside the house when the fire broke out because family members were at a funeral parlor processing requirements for her father’s wake.

Azarcon died Monday after he was struck by an illness while on his way to his poultry business.

Azarcon was a former member of the Philippine National Police Maritime Group and had been living alone in the house with his senior citizen live-in partner.

Marry Lou said they received a call from neighbors informing them about the fire at her father’s house.

She said flames and thick smoke had already engulfed the house when they arrived at the scene.

Some residents tried to extinguish the blaze by spraying water, but they backed away after hearing a series of explosions inside the house.

They waited for responding firefighters from the Bureau of Fire Protection to arrive.

Arson investigators are determining the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.

Authorities have yet to release the estimated value of the damaged property.