By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

At least 17 homes were either damaged or destroyed last Tuesday following a fire in a residential area of Barangay 4 in Victorias City, Negros Occidental.

Based on investigations carried out by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Victorias City, the fire started around 12:50 p.m. in a home owned by Reynaldo Bionat.

The fire quickly spread as most of the homes in the area were made of light materials and it took at least an hour before firefighters got the blaze under control.

Damages were estimated at P2.6 million.

In a follow-up interview with Bionat, he claimed the fire was caused by an open electrical wire from a nearby streetlight, wherein sparks flew towards the wooden wall of his house.

Victorias City Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca has since ordered for fire victims to be provided assistance.

The affected residents are presently being housed at the city’s local public school./DGB, WDJ