BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO and IAN PAUL CORDERO
ILOILO City – On Day 5 of the Fire Prevention Month, a man was burned to death while P9.5-million worth of properties was destroyed in two separate fire incidents in this city and in the municipality of Batad, Iloilo.
Before dawn yesterday, fire struck a neighborhood in Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district here around 5 a.m.
John Vincent Mauricio was trapped in his room and died, according to Chief Inspector Christian Regencia, city fire marshal.
Twelve houses in Mauricio’ neighborhood were also gutted.
The fire started at Mauricio’s room and may have come from an unattended electrical appliance, initial investigation of the Bureau of Fire Protection showed.
“The victim’s room was locked from the inside. Relatives unsuccessfully tried to open the door to supposedly wake him up,” said Regencia.
Mauricio was likely too inebriated to wake up. Around 12:30 a.m., some four hours before the fire struck, he was seen binge drinking with friends, said Regencia.
From Mauricio’s house, the fire spread to 11 other houses owned by Pedro Lagarto, Arturo Jalandoni, Luzviminda Jalandoni, Randy Batilies, Arnold Labordo, Concepcion Mauricio, Luzvimnda Herminiano, Nemia Gatpatan, Efren Alataya, Grace Amular, and Victor Mauricio.
A commercial building was partially damaged and so were the houses of Maximo Mermudo and Joel Rosane.
Initial estimate of property damage reached P600,000.
MARKET BLAZE
Some five hours before the Barangay Bahkaw fire, the public market of the municipality of Batad, Iloilo went up in smoke.
Around 12 midnight fire erupted at a carinderia kitchen then quick spread.
The total damaged reached to P9.5 million.
According to Senior Fire Officer 2 Junar Diestro, officer-in-charge of the municipal fire station, they received a fire call at around 12:17 a.m.
Firefighters put the blaze under control by 2:30 a.m. and declared a “fire out” 30 minutes after.
Diestro said kitchen embers may have caused the fire fueled further by an abundance of cooking oil.
“Biskan sige namon ka bomba ka tubig, ang kalayo ara man gyapon,” said Diestro.
Fire trucks from the nearby municipalities of Estancia, Sara, Lemery, San Dioniso, Ajuy, Carles, and Balasan helped contain the fire.
No persons got injured or died in the blaze.
The two fire incidents occurred as the Bureau of Fire Protection was stepping up its fire safety campaign.
The ultimate goal of the yearly Fire Prevention Month observance is to protect the public from fire hazards by educating people and making them take positive steps to secure themselves and their properties, said Regencia.
He appealed for the public’s cooperation even as he cited some problems his men frequently encounter when responding to fire calls. Among these are:
* narrow roads that slowdown responding fire trucks
* road obstructions such as parked vehicles
* lacks of water supply./PN
