TACLOBAN CITY — A suspected electrical short circuit sparked a pre-dawn fire that destroyed a boarding house and damaged two nearby residential houses in Barangay P.I. Garcia, Naval, Biliran on Saturday, July 4, authorities said.
The fire broke out at around 4 a.m. in Sitio Butay and Romblon, rapidly engulfing a boarding house made of light materials before spreading to adjacent homes.
Police identified the owner of the boarding house only by the alias “Amy,” 41, single, and a resident of Kawayan, Biliran. One of the affected residential houses is owned by alias “Clara,” 38, married, and a resident of Barangay P.I. Garcia.
According to the Naval Municipal Police Station, officers responded to a report of the fire at about 4:13 a.m. Upon arrival, they found firefighters from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Naval already conducting fire suppression operations.
Initial investigation by BFP fire investigators indicated that the blaze was caused by an electrical wiring short circuit. Investigators said the fire spread quickly because the boarding house was constructed mainly of light materials, resulting in the total destruction of the structure and damage to nearby houses.
The BFP declared the fire under control shortly after firefighters arrived and eventually extinguished the blaze. Firefighters then carried out overhauling operations to prevent the fire from reigniting.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
Authorities estimated the damage to the boarding house and one residential house at around P150,000.
Meanwhile, the kitchen portion of another residential house owned by Beverly Batuto also sustained fire damage, with estimated losses reaching P300,000.
The BFP is continuing its investigation to determine the full extent of the damage and to verify the circumstances surrounding the incident.
(ROBERT DEJON)
