BY NYARIKA DOMANAIS
ILOILO City – A grassfire erupted in Barangay Bitoon, Jaro district on Wednesday at approximately 8:22 p.m., causing concern among local residents and emergency responders.
The blaze was successfully controlled within 40 minutes, around 9 p.m.
Eyewitnesses, including a member of the volunteer fire brigade Iloilo City Action Group (ICAG), reported seeing an individual allegedly starting the fire.
The suspect, a certain “Raden”, however, denied these allegations, asserting his involvement was in fact in efforts to extinguish the flames when these were just starting.
“If I had started the fire, I wouldn’t need a flashlight,” said “Raden”, defended himself.
Further complicating matters, an ICAG member claimed to have seen “Raden” moving to another area and initiating a second fire.
“We were about to pull out because the fire was out, but then I saw something,” the ICAG member recounted.
“I alerted my team on the other side that there was a fire ahead. We noticed someone with a flashlight; as soon as the flashlight turned off, it seemed like he started another fire.”
Initial reports indicated the grassfire began in the afternoon and flared up again later in the evening.
Authorities are investigating the incident to confirm the sequence of events./PN
