BACOLOD City — A fire broke out in a residential community in Barangay 14 on Tuesday afternoon, April 21, destroying dozens of homes and leaving more than 70 families without shelter.
According to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), a total of 32 houses in Purok Ramon Magsaysay were affected. Of these, 22 were totally destroyed while 10 sustained partial damage.
The blaze started at around 3:14 p.m. and quickly escalated, reaching a second alarm within minutes. The BFP said the fire spread rapidly across the densely populated area.
No casualties or injuries were reported. However, at least 71 families, or 289 individuals, were displaced, with many losing all their belongings. Estimated damage to property reached P4.5 million.
Firefighters from multiple units, along with volunteers and responders from the city’s disaster risk reduction office, worked together to contain the fire. It was declared under control at 3:40 p.m. and fully extinguished by 3:52 p.m.
Authorities were still investigating the cause of the fire as of this writing.
Mayor Greg Gasataya assured affected residents of immediate government assistance. He said he has directed the Department of Social Services and Development and the city’s finance team to expedite the release of financial aid.
Under the city’s assistance program, families whose homes were totally destroyed will receive P15,000, while those with partially damaged houses will get P10,000. Renters and sharers are also set to receive P5,000 each.
The city government will also provide construction materials, such as GI sheets, to help residents rebuild their homes.
The mayor has directed Barangay 14 officials to facilitate the necessary documentation, including certifications and fire reports, to speed up the distribution of aid.
As of this writing, displaced families were temporarily housed at the Education and Training Center School III, where the city government continued to provide food and other essential services./PN
