Even as strong winds and heavy rains from Super Typhoon Uwan battered Eastern Visayas, a fire broke out early Saturday morning, Nov. 9, in Barangay Iniguihan of Bato town in Leyte, destroying more than 80 houses and five commercial establishments, the Bureau of Fire Protection-Eastern Visayas (BFP-8) reported.
The blaze, which occurred at around 4:30 a.m., spread rapidly through the community as powerful winds from Typhoon Uwan fanned the flames, making it difficult for firefighters to contain the fire immediately.
According to initial reports from Fire Senior Inspector Anos of the BFP-Bato Fire Station, the fire affected 106 families and destroyed an estimated 680 square meters of residential and commercial property.
The fire completely burned 82 residential houses and five commercial structures. No fatalities were reported, although one firefighter suffered an eye injury due to irritation while battling the blaze.
Responding units included firefighters from Bato, Matalom, Hilongos, Bontoc, Inopacan, Maasin City, Sogod, Hindang, Baybay, and Hilongos, who worked together to bring the fire under control amid the super typhoon..
The fire had gone up to a third alarm by 4:40 a.m. before it was declared under control at 6:30 a.m. It was fully extinguished by 6:45 a.m., according to the BFP report.
Authorities estimated the total damage at ?1.6 million. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
Officials noted that strong winds brought by Super Typhoon Uwan likely contributed to the rapid spread of the flames, complicating firefighting operations as the region continued to experience power outages and flooding from the typhoon