Fire reduces 20 houses to ashes

Over 20 houses in two sitios in barangay Labangon were reduced to ashes during a fire that claimed at least P200,000 in damages to property yesterday afternoon.

Three men were injured as they tried to salvage anything from the blaze. Two of them were identified as Wengy de Moral and Rashdie Omar.

The fire reportedly started at the house of Gwendolyn Pacaña in sitio Cogon at about 5:14 p.m. and immediately spread to the neighboring sitio of Sambagan.

Investigators are looking into reports that the blaze started when two children, who were reportedly left at Pacaña's house that afternoon, were cooking.

But they are also probing another report that the fire was actually caused by a faulty electrical connection after some neighbors claimed that an electrical wire in Pacaña's house was seen on fire.

Fire investigator Frank Donoso said two of the affected houses, which were made of light materials, were partially damaged.

Although there were fire hydrants in the area, Donoso said they had a hard time containing the fire because it happened in the interior portion of the area. Firemen used at least 12 hoses that were connected to each other to put out the blaze. Firetrucks were unable to quickly enter the area since there were trisikads parked along the stretch of A. Lopez Street.