ORMOC CITY– Two residential houses were totally destroyed, while another was partially damaged, after a fire broke out in the early hours of Friday, January 9, in Barangay P.I. Garcia, Naval, Biliran.
A woman was also injured in the incident, which authorities believe was caused by an unattended clip fan.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the fire occurred at around 1:34 a.m. in Vicentillo Extension and was first reported by a concerned resident at the house owned by an 86-year-old widower identified by authorities as alias “Dony.”
Upon receiving the report, the Naval Fire Station immediately dispatched two fire trucks and an ambulance at about 1:35 a.m. Firefighters arrived to find two residential structures already engulfed in flames. One fire truck from the Almeria Fire Station later assisted in the response.
The fire, raised to first alarm, spread quickly as the affected houses were made of light materials. Two houses were totally damaged, while one sustained partial damage.
A 56-year-old woman, identified as alias “Cyra,” suffered a three-inch secondary burn on her right arm. She was promptly given medical treatment by BFP emergency medical personnel at the scene.
Firefighters managed to place the blaze under control at 1:48 a.m., and it was officially declared fire out at 2:26 a.m.
Following an investigation, BFP investigators determined that the fire was likely caused by an unattended clip fan that overheated and ignited the blaze.
Initial estimates placed the total structural damage at P337,500, based on the BFP Standard Operating Procedures Manual.
(ROBERT DEJON)
