BACOLOD CITY – Sixty-six families or 331 individuals were displaced by a fire that hit a residential area in Purok Tangkong, 6th St., Barangay 7, this city, on Saturday, September 9.

RESIDENTS affected by a fire in Barangay 7, Bacolod City, on Saturday, September 9, are temporarily sheltered at the gymnasium of Barangay Villamonte, Bacolod City. (Bacolod PIO)
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) on Monday, September 11, said 38 houses were totally and two were partially damaged.
Chief Insp. Stephen Jardeleza, city fire marshal, said the fire broke out from the house of Frederico Lumayno due to an unattended butane past 9 p.m.
Lumayno told arson investigators that he left his house to go to a neighbor’s wake while he was cooking dinner around 7 p.m.
Firefighters had difficulty penetrating the fire scene because of narrow passageways.
The fire reached third alarm as it easily spread because most houses were made of light materials.
Fire out was declared at 11:15 p.m. It affected 780-square meters in the area and no injuries were reported.
Damage to property was estimated by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Bacolod at P195,000.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez here checked the situation of affected residents.
Fire victims were temporarily sheltered at the Barangay Villamonte gymnasium and have received assistance from the city government.