Three injured, four fires hit Bacolod over holidays

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — Three people were injured and four fire incidents were recorded in the city from Dec. 30, 2025, to Jan. 1, 2026.

The most recent incident occurred on New Year’s Day, leaving seven families homeless in separate barangays.

The first blaze was reported at 12:19 a.m. on Jan. 1 in Purok Christian, Barangay Bata, damaging three houses and affecting six families or 10 individuals.

The Bureau of Fire Protection–Bacolod declared the fire out 20 minutes later, with estimated damage pegged at PHP 22,500.

While firefighters were responding in Barangay Bata, another blaze broke out at 12:23 a.m. in Purok San Benito, Barangay Sum-ag.

The fire partially damaged a house and affected one family composed of five people.

It was declared out after seven minutes, with damages estimated at PHP 1,000.

On New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, three people were injured during a fire in Purok Riverside, Barangay Banago.

Fire Inspector Jemarie Tapiru, deputy city fire marshal, said the blaze started in the middle portion of a hardware store at 8:35 a.m. and quickly spread to two nearby houses made of light materials.

Tapiru said two victims sustained second- to third-degree burns, while the third had first-degree burns. All are now recovering in the hospital.

The fire caused PHP 300,000 in damage and was declared out at 8:57 a.m.

Tapiru said the cause of the fire is under investigation, including reports of alleged butane refilling at the site.

The earliest of the four fires occurred in Barangay 31 on Dec. 30, damaging six houses and another structure.

The blaze displaced nine families totaling 23 individuals, though no injuries were reported.

Estimated property loss was placed at PHP 75,000.

Arson investigators are still determining the causes of all four fires.