By CESAR JOLITO III

A series of fire incidents struck Bacolod City earlier this week, destroying at least 20 houses in two barangays just two days after a separate blaze left 34 homes in Barangay 10 in ruins.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Bacolod reported that seven houses were affected by a fire that broke out at Purok 3 Batad in Barangay Singcang-Airport’s Sitio Magsungay at 4:40 p.m. on Sunday, January 25.

The fire originated from the house of Franco Sanz and rapidly spread to nearby structures made of light and mixed materials.

Of the seven houses affected, four were totally destroyed, while three sustained partial damage.

Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze by 4:59 p.m., with initial estimates placing property damage at around P15,000.

No injuries or casualties were reported.

Hours later, another fire erupted in Barangay 26’s Purok Masanag at 5:20 a.m. yesterday.

The fire started at the residence of Linda Barba and quickly spread to neighboring houses, prompting the BFP to raise a second alarm.

A total of 13 houses were affected in the Barangay 26 fire, with nine completely razed and four partially damaged.

Firefighters, assisted by volunteer fire units, encountered difficulty accessing the area due to narrow pathways, forcing them to manually pull and connect hoses to reach the burning homes.

The fire was declared under control at 5:55 a.m., with damage estimated at P150,000.

The BFP said the two incidents affected at least 30 families, or around 60 individuals.

Arson investigators are still conducting a probe to determine the causes of both fires.

In response, the Bacolod City government, through the Department of Social Services and Development, distributed food packs to affected residents temporarily staying at barangay evacuation centers.

Authorities also urged residents in densely populated areas to observe fire safety measures to prevent similar incidents./CJ, WDJ