By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga 

At least 11 homes were gutted following two separate fire incidents on All Saints’ Day in Negros Occidental.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Kabankalan City responded to the fire at Purok 6 in the city’s Barangay 1 around 3:00 p.m., that affected 13 families.

Fire Officer 3 John Derick Villaruz, BFP-Kabankalan chief arson investigator, said the fire reached first alarm status.

The fire quickly spread through the residential area and left eight houses destroyed and one damaged.

The estimated cost of the damage was P75,000.

Villaruz said a 67-year-old woman received first degree burns from the blaze.

An unattended candle was being seen as the cause of the fire.

Meanwhile, in Bacolod City, a house in Barangay 30’s Purok Mabinuligon, owned by a senior citizen, was destroyed in a fire around 4:00 p.m. 

Senior Fire Officer 4 Archie Españo, BFP-Bacolod chief arson investigator, said the house was owned by 81-year-old Cecilia Bayling.

Españo said Bayling was able to flee from her burning house.

Nine boarders in the house were also affected by the blaze.

No one was injured in the fire.

The BFP estimated the damage at P275,000.

Españo said they have to determine the cause of the blaze, believing it was due to an unattended candle at the altar./DGB, WDJ