ILOILO City — A fire that broke out along Jalandoni Street, Barangay Our Lady of Lourdes in Jaro district on Wednesday afternoon, September 24, destroyed seven houses and left an estimated ₱1.8 million in damages, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Iloilo City.
Fire Officer 2 Jhon Paquito Verano, arson investigator of BFP-Iloilo City, said four houses were totally gutted: two rented by Viju’s Balkonahe Catering Services and two others located behind them.
“The fire spread quickly because the structures were made of light materials, making it difficult to contain in the first few minutes,” Paquito explained.
Three other properties —a three-storey apartment beside the catering business which sustained damage to its firewall, and two houses at the back — were reported partially damaged.
The fire was elevated to the third alarm at 3:10 p.m. and declared under control at around 3:45 p.m., but mopping-up operations continued as spot fires reignited in parts of the burned structures.
No casualties were reported in the incident.
“We are still conducting a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the blaze. For now, our focus is on ensuring the area is safe and preventing rekindling,” Paquito said.
The BFP-Iloilo City reminded residents anew to remain cautious and to observe fire safety measures, particularly in densely populated neighborhoods where houses are built close to one another./PN
