BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO City – Another fire hit this city just days before the Fire Prevention Month ends.
Eleven houses in Barangay Muelle Loney, City Proper district were razed by fire at around 3:12 p.m. yesterday.
Data from the Iloilo City Social Welfare and Development Office showed eight houses were totally damaged and three were partially burned.
Barangay Captain Edgar Roga told Panay News the fire may have started in the house of Delia Singson.
The fire, Roga added, may have been electrical in nature, although he also said there were no identified illegal electrical connections in the barangay.
“Pagkita kaina sang tanod naga-aso mismo sa kuryente. Wala naman kita diri recorded nga mga jumper sang kuryente kay almost nakapatakod na gid sila sang ila nga linya,” said Roga.
The Bureau of Fire Protection’s investigation, meanwhile, is still ongoing.
Fire victim Ma. Theresa Villanueva was not able to save any of their important things.
“Naga-board lang kami diri kag nakibot gid kami nga naga-aso na, pagkita namon may sunog na. Wala gid kami may nasalbar nga gamit kay naghingagaw lang kami sang bana ko gwa,” said Villanueva.
Noel Hillado, also a fire victim, said: “Ara kami sa barangay hall, tapos nagsinggit sila nga may sunog. Pagkita ko ga-aso na sa balay kanday Delia. Nagsaka ko sa atop sang chapel kag tuyo ko tani nga gub-on ang puertahan pero wala ko na mahimu kay grabe gid ang aso.”
Last week, two successive fire incidents destroyed 39 houses in Lapuz district.
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas sought the help of stakeholders to find solutions. Fires in the city were mostly caused by illegal electrical connections especially in areas densely populated with informal settlers./PN
