ILOILO City – A fire razed a rest house in Barangay Sto. Niño Sur, Arevalo district on Wednesday night, February 5.
Fire Officer 2 Jhon Paquito Verano, arson investigator of the Iloilo City Fire Station, said the rest house owned by a priest was completely destroyed. Damaged was pegged at approximately P43,500.
The fire broke out at around 9:07 p.m., quickly consuming the structure before firefighters managed to bring it under control by 9:32 p.m.
Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported, said Verano.
Arson investigators pointed to a possible liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tank leak and faulty electrical wiring as the likely causes.
Verano said the house occupants had previously observed occasional LPG leaks. Additionally, signs of a suspected short circuit were found, with occupants confirming past incidents of electrical sparking.
Verano, meanwhile, urged the public to regularly check their LPG tanks for potential leaks and have their electrical systems inspected by licensed professionals to prevent similar incidents./PN
