By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY – The 70-year-old ancestral home of former Toboso Mayor and now Councilor Richard Jaojoco was destroyed in a fire in Purok Malinawon, Barangay Poblacion, Toboso, Negros Occidental, early Friday, Feb. 21.
Senior Fire Officer 4 (SFO4) Marilou Dela Cruz, the town’s fire marshal, said the fire started in the house’s storage area, where combustible materials such as medicines and documents were kept.
Authorities received a fire call from the town police at 3:47 a.m., but Dela Cruz speculated that the fire may have started past 2 a.m.
A caretaker saw the flames, but the structure, made of light materials, was completely burned. Three generators containing fuel also contributed to the intensity of the blaze.
Dela Cruz said an electrical short circuit due to loose wiring may have caused the fire, as some of the house’s wiring was old and likely needed replacement.
She added that power fluctuations and heavy rains occurred the night before the fire.
No injuries were reported, and the fire was declared out at 5:25 a.m. on Feb. 22.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) estimated the damage at PHP392,224, based on its operational manual.
Jaojoco and his wife, incumbent Mayor Madonna Jaojoco, were in Manila for their daughter’s graduation when the fire broke out.
Jaojoco is running for mayor in the upcoming midterm elections.
