ILOILO City – A fourth-alarm fire tore through a densely populated section of Barangay Benedicto in Jaro district on Monday afternoon, February 16, destroying more than 20 houses and leaving dozens of families homeless in less than two hours.
The blaze, which broke out shortly before 1 p.m., spread rapidly across tightly packed homes made mostly of light materials, prompting the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to raise the alarm to the fourth level at 1:16 p.m.
Firefighters declared the fire under control at 1:50 p.m. and fully extinguished it at 2:26 p.m.
Senior Fire Officer 1 Denmark Macoco, chief of the Intelligence and Investigation Unit of the Iloilo City Fire Station, said initial estimates show extensive damage.
“While we cannot provide a precise count yet, it is estimated that the fire has destroyed more than 20 houses, impacting many families in our community,” Macoco stated.
The fire call was received at 12:56 p.m., with first and second alarms sounded almost simultaneously. The intensity of the flames forced firefighters to battle the blaze from nearly 100 meters away due to narrow access roads in the area.
Macoco said structural conditions contributed to the rapid spread.
“The fire spread so rapidly because the houses are very close together and built with light materials,” Macoco explained.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as residents scrambled to save valuables while thick smoke and flames engulfed the neighborhood.
Some managed to salvage essential belongings before fleeing.
Among those who lost their homes were Jeric John Abellon, Roquita Arroyo, and spouses Erlyn and Lourenze Paguntalan.
The fire also destroyed a computer shop and threatened nearby structures before crews contained the blaze.
Erlyn Paguntalan expressed her anguish over the loss: “Almost everything in our vicinity has been consumed by the fire; it’s devastating.”
A resident reported hearing an explosion from a neighboring house shortly before flames erupted, which investigators are now examining as a possible point of origin.
Despite the scale of destruction, authorities confirmed that no casualties had been reported as of this writing.
The Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office detailed the emergency response timeline:
* Fire call received — 12:56 p.m.
* 1st Alarm — 12:56 p.m.
* 2nd Alarm — 12:56 p.m.
* 4th Alarm — 1:16 p.m.
* Fire under control — 1:50 p.m.
* Fire out — 2:26 p.m.
Investigators continue to determine the exact cause of the fire and validate the total number of affected households.
City officials are coordinating relief and assistance for displaced families as the community begins the difficult task of recovery following one of the most destructive fires to hit Jaro this year./PN
