ILOILO City – Fire gutted 66 houses in Barangay Old Airport, Mandurriao district late afternoon on Friday.
No casualties or injuries were recorded but the blaze displaced an estimated 107 families.
As this was being written, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) was still trying to determine what caused the fire. However, it managed to trace where it started – in the house of a certain Lida Yudelmo.
The fire broke out at around 5:29 p.m. BFP firefighters placed it under control by 6:43 p.m.
The displaced families temporarily sought shelter at the Mandurriao Elementary School.
Of the 66 houses that the fire razed, 57 were totally damaged, according to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO). It, however, stressed this was just an initial data.
BFP itself declined to give an estimate of the damage pending a complete investigation.
The CSWDO extended assistance to the fire victims – 40 sleeping bags, 40 packs of food from the city government’s community kitchen, 40 mosquito nets, and 80 blankets.
This is the biggest fire to hit the city since the four fires that struck in two days – Feb. 22 and 23. The properties hit were all houses.
How could people avoid house fires?
It starts with having the correct electrical wirings, and to do this, according to BFP Region 6, let licensed electricians do the work.
According to BFP-6 director, Fire Senior Superintendent Jerry Candido, the most common cause of fire is short circuit.
“This is my advice: hire licensed electricians. Indi kamo magkuha sang mga nakahibalo sa electricity based lang sa experience kag panilag. Dapat may gin tun-an gid para may enough knowledge gid sia,” Candido said.
He also stressed the importance of regular maintenance of electricity connections and avoiding the use of substandard wires.
“Kun substandard imo gamiton na wire, ang tendency dasig maguba then mag sag-id, amo na cause sang short circuit,” said Candido.
He added: “Dapat gid naton i-check ang electrical connections kag avoid using substandard wires. Ang mga daan nga koryente islan na ina kay usually amo ina ang ginahalinan sang sunog.”/PN
