Two separate fires which broke out in the towns of Candijay and Trinidad left an estimated P2 million worth of property damages, authorities said.
No one was injured during the fire incidents but these razed three houses and a commercial establishment in the two municipalities.
According to SFO1 Felomino Baay of the Trinidad Fire Station, the blaze erupted inside the house of one Anacita Acoña at around 7 a.m. on Monday in Barangay Poblacion in Trinidad, which was celebrating its town fiesta.
The fire then spread to a nearby house and barbershop and also burned a Toyota Fortuner parked near the burned structures.
“Ang cause of fire under investigation pa nanguha pa mi og dugang ebidensya ug detalyi,” said Baay.
Baay said the fire reached second alarm prompting the deployment Bureau of Fire Protection personnel from nearby towns.
The fire lasted for over an hour and was declared fire out at 8:30 a.m.
Earlier, a fire also razed an ancestral home owned by 77-year-old Ines Juni in Barangay Buyoan in Candijay at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
According to FO2 Ronil Butin of the Candijay Fire Station, investigators are looking at an electrical short circuit as possible cause of the fire which started after the resumption of electrical services following a power outage.
Juni and other residents of the house were at the lawn when they heard crackling sounds inside the house before fire started to spread.
“Sa initial na pagpangutana namo didto gasugod gyud siya sa electrical kay ga brownout man gud to unya pagsiga balik, ni spark. Nagbuto-buto kuno matud pa sa tag-iya,” said Butin.
Flames had already engulfed Juni’s residence when fire authorities arrived as Butin noted that residents did not directly report the fire incident to authorities.
“Ang problema pud kay ang mga taw dugay jud nakapahibaw sa fire station kay ga sige nag live sa [Facebook] wa pa juy naka pahibaw sa fire station. Diha na mi nakakita sa GC [group chat]. Wa gyuy naka dung didto sa station,” said Butin.
Butin added that Ines’ residence was close to several other houses but the fire was put out before it could spread.
“Dako na kaayo ang sunog pag-abot namo mao among gi-save nalang ang silingan. Wa ra katabok kaluoy sa Diyos pero duol na jud to nangitom na ang ilang bintana og wa maabti,” he said. (A. Doydora)