Misuse of equipment blamed Fire guts two-storey home in Talisay

CEBU, Philippines - A fire that gutted a two-storey house in Hacienda Milan, Barangay Maghaway, Talisay City the other morning was caused by the misuse of electrical equipment, investigators said.

The 9:30 a.m. fire tore the second-floor of the house owned by Susan David.

SFO1 Marcelino Aguilar said firefighters were able to put out the fire after ten minutes before it spread to other houses. Damage was pegged at P300,000.

He said nobody was around when fire started. No one was hurt in the fire.

Based on the record by the Bureau of Fire Protection, according to City Fire Marshal Antonio Ortiz that about 71 percent of fires that occurred in the city for the past ten years were mostly caused by electrical misuse.

Ortiz urged residents to use standard electrical wiring in their homes.

He said fires were mostly caused by substandard electrical installation, substandard electrical components or devices, illegal connections, electrical misuse, short circuit and overloading.

Ortiz said that aside from electrical fires, nine percent of fires that occurred in the city for the past 10 years were attributed to open flames.

While seven percent were caused by unattended cooking, five percent were caused by combined heat or bonfires, four percent were caused by flammable liquids, three percent were caused by liquid petroleum gas  and one percent was caused by fireworks explosion and sparks. — (FREEMAN)