By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY – A fire gutted 50 houses and partially damaged four others in Purok Pasil, Barangay Zone 5, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday afternoon, according to an initial report from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Talisay.
Senior Fire Officer 1 (SFO1) John Mondido, arson investigator of the Talisay City Fire Station, said they received the fire call at around 1:33 p.m.
The fire reportedly started in the middle of the congested residential area.
Mondido said the blaze spread quickly, as most structures were made of light materials.
Nobody was at home when the fire broke out in one of the houses, he added.
Due to narrow footpaths, firefighters had to connect multiple hoses to put out the flames, as fire trucks could only park along the main road.
However, Mondido noted that firefighters used four access points via footpaths to penetrate the area.
BFP estimated the damage at PHP 525,000. No injuries were reported.
Firefighters declared the fire out at 3:34 p.m. Authorities have cordoned off the area for further investigation.
Fire victims are receiving assistance from the barangay.
