BACOLOD City – Seven families were left homeless by a fire that struck a neighborhood in Purok Unlad, Barangay 13 on Saturday.
According to city fire marshal Chief Inspector Publio Ploteña, the fire started around 11:35 a.m.
Residents scampered away from the blaze – with some reportedly jumping into a nearby creek – as the fire spread fast.
Most of the gutted houses were made of light materials.
Strong winds further fanned the fire.
Three residents were reported to have been nearly trapped in their houses. They managed to escape through the roofs.
Firefighters arrived at the scene before noon and quelled the blaze within minutes – but several homes were already razed.
The Bureau of Fire Protection estimated the damage to be between P150,000 to P200,000.
As of this writing, Ploteña and his men were still trying to determine the cause of the fire.
In the meantime, some displaced residents temporarily sought shelter at the village’s barangay hall./PN
