Not less than P750,000 went up in smoke as fire ate up classrooms at the Balilihan Elementary School last week. According to FO1 Judith Inojales of the provincial fire station, the fire broke out at the school located at the town center about 12:45 noon last Dec. 18. Initial investigation pointed to fault electrical wiring as the cause of the conflagration. The fire razed on at the affected classrooms for about an hour before it was placed under control. As this developed, Provincial Fire Marshal Nonilo Acero denied insinuations that firemen from the Tagbilaran fire station arrived at the scene ahead of the Balilihan firemen.

Acero also denied reports that the Balilihan fire truck did not have ready water supply saying the town's firemen were the first who fought off the blaze. However, the fire swiftly ate up the old building. There were no reports of casualties or injuries. On the previous day, fire also broke out at a cottage at the Alona beach row at about 6 pm. The damage was placed at P70,000 after the fire destroyed the second floor of the cottage made of light materials. No one was reported hurt in the incident. Probers are still trying to determine the cause of the blaze. Still another fire broke out in a small hut in Dampas district, Tagbilaran City about 10:28 Wednesday morning. The owner of the house identified as one Lino Liga, 72, died when he failed to get out of the house during the blaze. Investigations revealed that the old man lighted an improvised lamp but he dropped it, causing the fire to break out. The victim failed to flee the burning hut as the flames spread around him and was burned to death. The damage arising from the blaze was estimated at P30,000.