• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Fire hit a colony of informal settlers in a coastal area of Purok Kagaykay, Barangay 2 in Bacolod City, early morning of July 31, destroying 73 houses and partially damaging eight others, according to the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP).
The BFP reported that 81 families, composed of 276 individuals, were affected by the blaze.
Initial BFP investigations indicated that the fire was triggered by an unattended improvised mosquito repellant in an abandoned house of a certain Monaliza Magbanua, which was occupied by a certain Waldo, a construction worker.
Prior to the incident, Waldo had been scolded several times by his neighbors, for burning egg trays, which he had been using as an improvised mosquito repellant.
The BFP estimates the damage at P1.4 million.
The fire was placed under control by responding fire fighters, more than an hour after it was reported to the BFP.
One of the fire victims, Emma Tesoro, in an interview with RMN DYHB, claimed that unidentified persons took advantage of the ongoing blaze by ransacking her residence of P20,000 in cash, and 14 cellular phones which were pawned to her.
The Bacolod City government, through the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRMMO) and CSWDO, upon instruction of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, immediately delivered food packs, hygiene kits, and water jugs for the affected residents.*
