PRINCESA: A fire in a downtown barangay here early Wednesday resulted in a 21-year-old resident suffering second-degree burns.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) – Puerto Princesa City said the blaze that broke out at about 4:20 a.m. burned eight houses and damaged three others in Purok Masaya, Barangay San Miguel.
The victim was identified as Lance Eclarino, a resident of one of the homes that the fire engulfed.
Senior Fire Officer 1 Mark Llacuna said the blaze, which is believed to have started in a vacant boarding house owned by Dhancy Eala, was reported to the BFP at about 4:50 a.m. and was extinguished by 6 a.m.
“By the time we reached the area, about 90 percent of it was already burning as the houses were made of light materials,” Llacuna said.
The blaze left 12 families homeless and led to damage estimated at PHP690,000.
Llacuna noted that the firefighting efforts were a coordinated response involving various agencies, including the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Phil
ippine Air Force.
An investigation was underway to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Source: Philippines News Agency