A massive fire razed 37 houses in Brgy. 14, Bacolod City, on Tuesday afternoon, April 21, leaving 307 residents homeless.
The fire displaced 103 families with 307 members from Purok Ramon Magsaysay Dawis, Dr. Richelle Verdeprado-Mangga, Bacolod Department of Social Services and Development head, said Tuesday night.
She said based on the initial count 27 houses were destroyed and 10 were damaged, but the number is likely to be higher.
A final count will be made on Wednesday morning, she said.
Bacolod Fire Marshal Jenny Mae Masip said the blaze that broke out at past 3 p.m. originated from the house of Regie Doronila but investigators were still determining the exact cause.
The Bureau of Fire Protection placed the initial property damage at P4.5 million.
Masip identified the neighborhood as a “red zone”, where houses were built close together enabling the fire to spread fast.
Their response was further hampered by the lack of access roads, preventing firetrucks from reaching the immediate vicinity of the fire, she said.
To combat the blaze, firefighters were forced to connect multiple long-distance hoses to reach the affected structures.
In a desperate bid to save their homes, residents climbed onto rooftops and organized a bucket relay to help douse the flames.
The fire victims are temporarily housed at the Education Training Center School (ETCS) 3 where the city government has provided immediate assistance.
Many of the fire victims escaped with just the clothes on their back, prompting appeals for help.*
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