Another fire left 65 residents homeless at Purok Masanag, Brgy. 26, Bacolod City, at 5:20 a.m. Monday, January 26, Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) head Richelle Verdeprado-Mangga said.
There were nine houses destroyed and three damaged, updated DSSD data as of 6 p.m. Monday showed.
The Bacolod Fire Department initially reported nine houses destroyed and 4 damaged, valued at P150,000.
The fire affected 18 families with 65 individuals, Verdeprado-Mangga said.
The fire started from the house of Linda Barba and was caused by “electrical ignition due to arcing”, Fire Inspector Jemarie Tapiru, deputy city fire marshal, said.
Electrical arcing is described as a phenomenon that occurs in electrical systems when an electric current flows through an air gap between two conductors.
Tapiru said a break in an electrical wire hitting galvanized roofs could cause arcing.
Two fires had also destroyed 33 houses and damaged nine in Bacolod City during the weekend affecting 187 residents.
The first fire hit Purok Tambipalad, Brgy. 10, Saturday afternoon and the second hit Purok 3 Batad, Sitio Magsungay, Barangay Singcang-Airport on Sunday.*