By CESAR JOLITO III

A house fire that broke out in Bacolod City’s Barangay 21 on Wednesday morning, March 18, has been traced to a piece of cardboard ignited by a six-year-old child, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said.

The fire occurred at a residence along Cuadra Street, prompting an investigation by BFP arson investigators to determine the cause of the blaze.

Fire Officer 2 Anthony Val Isansa, assigned as a fire arson investigator, said initial findings ruled out any electrical origin after no signs of “electrical ignition” were found.

This supports the statement of homeowner Joyce Tolentino, saying no appliances were plugged into outlets at the time of the incident.

Isansa said the boy admitted that he had been playing with a lighter and set a piece of cardboard on fire.

The child then brought the burning material close to an electrical socket on the second level of the house, which eventually triggered the fire.

Authorities said the flames quickly spread, causing damage to the residence.

An adjacent building housing an auto parts store was partially damaged.

Based on the BFP’s operational procedures manual, the total cost of damage was estimated at P3,750.

No casualties or injuries were reported./CJ, WDJ