By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Bacolod City Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Fire Marshal, Fire Chief Inspector Publio Ploteña, confirmed the fire that nearly wiped out Purok Cagaycay in the city’s Barangay 2 was a case of arson.
According to the fire marshal, they interviewed several witnesses and determined a fight between Elbert Deo and his wife, now identified as Catherine Guanzon, did in fact take place. Deo earlier denied the allegations and said they had fought the day prior as Guanzon had refused to accompany him to Manila to seek employment.
Ploteña said witnesses saw Guanzon as the one who threw the lamp, which eventually caused the massive blaze.
Although Guanzon was the one who allegedly started the fire, Ploteña said Deo is not yet in the clear as he may still face charges of arson if the affected residents press charges.
As for the amount of damages caused by the blaze, Ploteña estimated losses at P500,000.
He added, the fire reached “Fourth Alarm” status, which required fire stations from neighboring towns and cities to also respond.
Ploteña thanked the fire and rescue personnel from the other towns and cities, especially since they were also fighting another blaze in Barangay Handumanan.
The fire destroyed a total of 200 homes, while surveys indicate 90 percent of the community was torched.
Following the fire, Police Station 2 (PS2) took Deo into custody for “safe keeping” as local residents were infuriated by the incident. Police are now conducting a follow-up operation against Guanzon.
The city government and non-government groups in the city have also started giving out aid to the victims of the fire./DGB, WDJ