THIRTEEN houses were destroyed in a fire in Barangay 3, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on Friday, Dec. 26. (Photo via Brown Cookies Production/FB)
BACOLOD CITY – Twenty-two families lost their homes in a fire on Bonifacio St., Barangay 3, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on Friday, Dec. 26.
Fire Officer 1 Jesrel Gersalia, arson investigator of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Kabankalan, said that 11 houses were totally destroyed, and two others were partially damaged, affecting 65 individuals.
Gersalia said that a fire call was received at 8 p.m. and the fire was declared out 30 minutes later. The blaze damaged structures made of mixed concrete and light materials situated in an alley, he added.
Arson investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire. Damage to property was P125,000. No injuries were reported.
Gersalia reminded the public to never leave appliances unattended when leaving their homes. He also advised them not to leave plugged extension wires and chargers.
Mayor Benjie Miranda visited the area to check and determine the extent of assistance that the city government provided to the fire victims.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Negros Island Region (DSWD-NIR) distributed relief assistance to fire victims at the Evacuation Command Center on Saturday, Dec. 27.
Assistance was composed of sleeping kits, hygiene kits, kitchen kits, family kits, and family food packs, which forms part of DSWD-NIR’s ongoing disaster response efforts to ensure the immediate safety, health, and basic needs of fire-affected families, in close coordination with the concerned local government unit.