A fire believed to have been triggered by cardboard egg trays used as improvised mosquito repellents hit 81 houses at Purok Kagaykay, Brgy 2, Bacolod City, at 3:26 a.m. Wednesday, July 31.
The fire destroyed 73 houses and damaged 8, mostly made of light materials, Supt. Jenny Mae Masip, Bacolod fire marshal, said.
Estimated damage was P1,400,000, the BFP Bacolod reported. About 344 residents were affected.
The fire started from the house Monaliza Magbanua occupied by a person identified only as alias “Waldo”, Masip said.
The fire is believed to have been caused by burning cardboard egg trays that “Waldo” used as improvised mosquito repellents, she said.
Neighbors saw “Waldo” pouring water to put out the fire but it quickly spread as houses in the area were made of light materials, Masip said.
“We are still very fortunate that there were no casualties or persons injured considering that the fire started early in the morning when most people were asleep,” she said.
Pauline Joy Ismael, 20, said they were asleep when they heard people shouting that there was a fire.
They just ran, nothing from their home was saved, she said.
Emma Tesoro, 64, said thieves stole 14 cellular phones and P20,000 from her store that was damaged by the fire. A house next door that she was renting out was destroyed.
Tersoro, who had worked in Kuwait for 10 years, moved to Purok Kagaykay about three years ago and used her savings to start her store, where neighbors also pawned their cellular phones and borrowed money.
The P20,000 stolen was her rolling capital, she said.
The Bacolod City government provided the affected families with food aid, hygiene kits and water. The Mayor Albee Benitez Soup on Wheels was also seen in the area.
Those whose houses were destroyed would receive P15,000 each, damaged – P10,000 each and house renters and sharers – P5,000 each, Bacolod social welfare officer Alma Gustilo said.
In 2019, more than 200 houses were also hit by a fire in Purok Kagaykay while in 2016, another fire incident razed around 50 houses in the same area, the Philippine News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, a fire also destroyed a house at Purok Masinadyahon, Brgy Bata, Bacolod City, on Tuesday.
The house was owned by Mercedes Santiago and damage was placed at P525,000.*