The week that was saw a succession of fire incidents, a total of five in a week’s time—one in this city, three in Dauis town and one in Sikatuna. One possible indication of the causes of the series of fires was the apparent dry spell in Bohol that must have made houses especially those made of light materials combustible. The latest of which occurred early morning yesterday when fire of unknown origin hit this city, this according to the local Bureau of Fire Protection. A fire believed to be caused by an explosion of a cell phone being charged razed to the ground seven houses at a squatter area along Gallares Street near the city port. The local fire department failed in putting out the fire that gobbled up the seven houses but succeeded in sparing the other shanties located nearby from being eaten up by the blaze. The victims whose houses were totally destroyed by the fire are those owned by Henry Arcamo, 64 years old, Gesma Bustrillo, Pedro Bullas, Martina Canday, Luis Bolongaita, Emma Viernes and Benigno Hornado, all of Gallares St.

The BFD estimated the initial damage in structure, excluding properties and personal belonging which have yet to be inventoried pending investigation, reached to not less than P100,000. The houses destroyed were made mostly of light materials. BFD said that it received a call at about 5:25 AM  and declared the blaze as “fire out,” about 30 minutes later. “Fire out” means the fire is under control that it cannot anymore affect the nearby houses but in succeeding hours it’s still conducting what it called “overhauling,” referring to the clearing up of burning debris and materials within the controlled area. The entire force of the BFD ---- with some 20 firemen and a fleet of fire trucks, was there to lend a helping hand. The local fleet supported the other fire trucks and personnel from private establishments such as the Bohol Quality, Alturas Group, Lite Shipping and Tarsier. Fire Chief Insp Rogelio Bungabong, the newly-installed fire chief, was at on top of the fire scene overseeing the operations.

In Dauis town, a house with a 24-hour store owned by the Penales family and his neighbor of Doroteo Cemeni went up in smoke. There was delay in putting off the fire since there’s no single fire truck of this town to respond to the fire alarm. Fire truck units arrived from this city but not until the two houses were already razed to the ground. A resident here said he was informed that the blaze came from a rice cooker of one of the burnt houses. If not of the concrete firewall, nearby houses could have been rzed to the ground The fire quickly spread to a neighboring house apparently fanned by the southeasterly wind . When the fire broke out, a thicj smoke billowed near the town church causing a traffic jam in the town’s narrow streets.

Traffic to Panglao was closed when the fire broke out near the Poblacion area. Also in Dauis, another fire, this time a bush fire, flared up in barangay Catarman, as a result of Romy Sabanal’s burning of newly cut dried banana leaves. It spread to the bushes, wiping out dried grasses and a nipa hut but sparing the apartment and a residential home situated at a nearby lot owned by a certain Ritchell Sabanal Storm. Romy is the brother of Ritchell, who is married to a Danish national. Another fire hit the Bohol cottages near the Bohol Plaza of Dauis town. But no details were made available. In Barangay Libho, Sikatuna town, a house was totally razed to the ground when a fire struck at around 4 AM Friday. The victim and owner of the house was identified as one Eulogio Tanginan, 74 years old. The damage was estimated at around P3,000. The owner was not around when the fire broke out. (RVO)