By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

One person is confirmed dead while four homes were confirmed destroyed, following yesterday’s blaze at Purok Hollow Blocks in Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City.

Authorities identified the fatality as 81-year-old Edison Hojilla, a resident of the said area.

According to Hojilla’s son, Jerson, shortly after 12:00 midnight, he saw the house owned by his parents was already ablaze. He reportedly went inside the burning house to rescue his parents, who the son managed to save.

However, the younger Hojilla said he was unaware his father went back inside to retrieve important documents and he was unable to escape of the burning home.

Firefighters from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) quickly arrived and immediately fought the flames until a fire-out was declared around 12:42 a.m.

BFP personnel later recovered Edison’s remains from inside his room, while damages were estimated at P100,000.

The BFP is currently investigating the incident, although they are now looking at the possibility an unattended heated kettle on a stove caused the blaze./DGB, WDJ