By Jennifer P. Rendon
The “stay at home” mantra has a new meaning for 100 families whose shelters went up in smoke in an early morning fire that struck the thickly-populated village of Ortiz in City Proper district, Iloilo City on Friday.
Fire Chief Inspector Melanie Habawel, Bureau of Fire Protection-Iloilo City fire marshal, said 80 houses were damaged by the fire that erupted past 2:30 a.m.
Sixty-eight houses were reduced to ashes while 12 were partially destroyed.
BFP-Iloilo City received the fire call around 2:42 a.m.
“We were able to put the fire under control at 3:55 a.m. and fire out was (declared) already at 7 a.m.,” Habawel said.
The fire erupted from the house occupied by a certain Virginia Gallon.
According to her neighbors, Gallon, or any of the house occupants, failed to return home when Iloilo City was placed under community quarantine.
“She could have been stranded at another province, a neighbor opined,” Habawel said.
Gallon’s house is a one-story structure with its columns made of wood.
The fire quickly spread to neighboring houses since the area is mostly inhabited by informal settlers in houses made of light materials.
Habawel said the initial investigation pointed to short circuit of electrical wiring as the likely cause of the fire.
The 100 families, composed of more than 300 individuals, failed to salvage personal belongings since most of them were sleeping when the fire broke out.
There was no reported injury or casualty among residents and BFP personnel.
Habawel said damage to property was pegged at P1,017,750.
Several fire victims sought refuge at the nearby University of Iloilo-Phinma campus.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said the city government provided relief goods to the victims which include 500 pieces of face masks, 200 one-liter bottles of water, 150 bread loaves, 150 packs of hygiene kits, three boxes of isopropyl alcohol, and three boxes of powdered milk. (With a report from Joseph B.A. Marzan)
