Fire destroys 23 houses in Cagayan de Oro, injures resident

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — At least 23 houses were destroyed and a resident was injured when a two-hour fire razed a hilltop compound in Zone 12, Upper Carmen, on Thursday morning.

Fire Senior Inspector John Rey Donasco, chief operations officer of the Cagayan de Oro Fire District, identified the victim as Jovy Racho, the son of the owner of the house where the fire broke out.

Racho suffered second-degree burns while escaping from the burning house and was rushed to a hospital by a rescue team.

Donasco said the fire broke out at about 8:30 a.m. and rapidly spread to houses in the hilltop compound.

He said responding firefighters had to negotiate the uphill terrain while battling the blaze.

The fire was brought under control two hours later.

Donasco said at least 23 houses were destroyed, with property damage estimated at P1.1 million.

Investigators have yet to determine the origin and cause of the fire, he added.