ILOILO City—An estimated 15 houses were destroyed or damaged after a fast-moving fire tore through Zone 2, Barangay Gustilo, La Paz district on Thursday afternoon, March 19, displacing around 30 families and prompting urgent response from local authorities.
The blaze, which reached second alarm, spread rapidly through tightly packed homes made largely of light materials, amplifying the scale of destruction within minutes, according to initial reports from barangay officials.
According to Barangay Councilman John Christian Labto, an estimated 15 houses were affected — 10 of which were completely destroyed while five sustained significant damage as of 4 p.m.
The fire reportedly ignited from the residence of Leo Estañol, who had been burning leaves when a sudden gust of wind fanned the flames, causing them to spread rapidly to surrounding structures.
Witnesses described a scene of chaos as flames quickly engulfed homes.
Residents heard a loud commotion, and when they rushed outside, they saw flames shooting up into the sky. According to them, the fire spread so quickly as most of these houses were made of light materials.
As thick smoke filled the area, residents scrambled to salvage belongings, while others fled to safety.
In the aftermath, approximately 30 families were left homeless, many of whom are now taking shelter in evacuation centers set up by the barangay.
“We’re doing everything we can to support our neighbors during this difficult time,” Labto said, emphasizing the urgency of the community’s response.
One resident, identified as Joy, recounted the ordeal.
“I was focused on my work when I didn’t notice that there was a fire. I was just called to come back home and when I arrived, there was already a fire on the roof. About half of the house was burned. Thankfully, no one was injured, and my family is safe,” Joy said.
“The fire didn’t spread rapidly because the houses are close together, but because they are made of light materials, the flames spread quickly due to the wind,” Joy added.
In a statement posted on social media, Mayor Raisa Treñas confirmed the scale of the incident and outlined ongoing response efforts.
“May residential fire sa Gustilo La Paz sini gid lang nga hapon nga naglab-ot sa 2nd Alarm. Base sa Initial Report, 15 households ang apektado (11 houses totally damaged, 4 partially damaged). Magaserbe nga evacuation center ang aton Brgy. Hall/Out Post, kag maga-atipan sang kinahanglanon sang affected families ang aton Brgy. Officials, Daycare/SF Workers kag CSWDO Staff. As of now, ongoing pa ang validation,” the mayor said.
No casualties or injuries have been reported.
The Bureau of Fire Protection has launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire and assess the full extent of the damage.
Relief and recovery efforts are ongoing as affected families begin to rebuild their lives following the incident./PN
