What remains of the houses after the fire. MindaNews photo by RICHEL V. UMEL
ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / 20 August) – A three-hour fire on Thursday razed 51 houses in Purok 1, a coastal village of Buruun, about 15 kilometers west of Iligan City.
In a radio interview here on Friday morning, Buruun barangay chair Marianita Paradela said the blaze affected 85 families who are now being housed at the barangay gymnasium.
They were given food assistance, kitchen utensils, mat, blankets and hygiene kits, she said.
But she admitted that making the displaced residents observe physical distancing was difficult, although the families were placed in separate cubicles and they were told to wear face masks.
The barangays procured milk for infants and children, and different government agencies and organizations came to extend assistance, she said.
Fire Officer 2 Julian Tangub Jr., chief Investigator at the Bureau of Fire Protection Central said the houses were made of light materials and built close to each other.
He added that sea winds fanned the fire making it spread fast.
He said they received the fire alarm from the Buruun fire station around 1:45 p.m. Twelve fire trucks from Iligan City responded to the incident, he said.
He said they are focusing their investigation on information they received that the fire could have originated from a residence where the occupants allegedly used butane in cooking.
The fire also affected the power lines of Iligan Light and Power Inc. and internet service of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone.
Tangub said traffic was closed for about three hours while the firemen tried to suppress the fire.
The firemen declared a “fire out” around 4:45 p.m., he said, adding damage was estimated at P300, 000.
“No one was hurt or injured during the fire,” he said. (Richel V. Umel/MindaNews)
