BACOLOD CITY – The 70-year-old ancestral home of former Mayor now Councilor Richard Jaojoco in Purok Malinawon, Barangay Poblacion, Toboso, Negros Occidental was destroyed by a fire on Friday, Feb. 21.
THE ancestral home of former Mayor now Councilor Richard Jaojoco was destroyed in a fire in Barangay Poblacion, Toboso, Negros Occidental on Friday, Feb. 21. (Photo courtesy Toboso Municipal Fire Station)
Jaojoco and his wife Toboso Mayor Madonnah were attending the graduation of their daughter in Manila when the fire happened.
Senior Fire Officer 4 (SFO4) Marilou dela Cruz, municipal fire marshal, said the fire broke out from the storage area of the house where combustible materials were being stored. Dela Cruz said that three generators with gasoline also fueled the fire that started past 2 a.m.
She said that loose connection or short circuit may be the cause of fire as there were old electrical wires that need to be repaired at the house made of light materials.
No injuries were reported. The house was being manned by a caretaker. Fire out was declared at 5:25 a.m., Feb. 22. Damage to property was placed at P392,224.