By CESAR JOLITO III

A major fire that broke out at Purok Katilingban 1 in Bacolod City’s Barangay 39 late yesterday morning affected nearly 100 households, with firefighting operations initially hampered by the limited availability of fire trucks deployed for ash-flushing operations linked to Kanlaon Volcano’s recent eruption.

Fire Inspector Jemarie Tapiru, deputy city fire marshal of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) – Bacolod, said the fire started at 11:06 a.m. and quickly escalated to a fourth alarm due to the density of structures.

The BFP classified the residential site as a fire-prone or “red zone.”

Tapiru said the response was challenged by a shortage of responding fire trucks, as several units had been sent to Southern Negros to conduct ash flushing following volcanic ashfall.

Despite the constraints, firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control by 12:19 p.m., with the fire officially declared out at 12:37 p.m.

The fire affected at least 204 families composed of 849 individuals.

Minor injuries were reported among some residents, but authorities confirmed that no individuals were trapped during the incident, based on post-fire assessments.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

In the aftermath, the BFP reiterated its call for residents to immediately report fire incidents, regularly inspect household electrical wiring, and avoid overloading electrical connections to prevent similar occurrences. /CJ, WDJ