BY JEN BAYLON
BACOLOD City – An investigation by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Bacolod revealed that an unattended lighted candle caused the fire that broke out in Purok Providence, Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City at around 7:10 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11.
According to Senior Fire Officer Jereck Barbas, deputy fire marshal of Bacolod City, the fire started in the house of Joylyn Tahum, which was being occupied by Pamela Alcon.
Alcon admitted to lighting a candle due to a scheduled brownout affecting the area at that time. However, she left the house with her two children, forgetting to extinguish the candle.
Upon returning in an attempt to put out the candle, Alcon discovered that their house was already engulfed in flames, causing the fire to spread to five neighboring houses.
Barbas confirmed that three houses, including Alcon’s residence, were completely burned, while three others were partially damaged.
No injuries were recorded from the incident, but it left approximately P43,750 in damages.
On the other hand, the BFP-Bacolod has requested understanding from the residents as their fire truck at the Barangay Sum-ag Sub-Station is currently out of commission due to brake failure.
However, Barbas reassured the public that the necessary repairs have been approved by the regional office, and they are waiting for the funds to be released for the maintenance.
He also reminded residents to be vigilant and careful when using candles, ensuring they are placed on stable surfaces or in containers and kept away from flammable materials such as curtains or plastics.
“Ginapangabay ta nga dapat maging vigilant kita kag careful sa aton pag gamit sang kandila,” Barbas told Panay News.
He also advised unplugging unused electrical appliances, not leaving cell phones plugged in unnecessarily, avoiding overloading electrical outlets, and maintaining good housekeeping.
“Tapos ang electrical installation dapat magpa-check up man regularly sa isa ka qualified electrician, kay ang aton kuryente sa kadugayon ga-brittle ini kag amo ina ang gina-target nga kitkiton sang ilaga,” he added./PN
