ILIGAN CITY — Two separate fires struck this city on May 20, 2026, stretching emergency personnel and equipment to their limits as firefighters battled simultaneous blazes in Barangays Tambacan and Del Carmen.
The dual emergencies left one person dead and dozens of families homeless.
Tambacan blaze claims senior citizen
According to Fire Officer 2 Ruel P. Pairat, the first fire broke out at around 7:47 a.m. in Purok 2A, GK Rainbow Village, Barangay Tambacan.
Because local structures were built from light and mixed materials, the flames spread rapidly.
Fire authorities raised a second alarm at 7:51 a.m. and a third alarm at 7:59 a.m. The blaze was declared under control at 9:20 a.m. and officially declared out at 1:48 p.m. after firefighters thoroughly extinguished remaining hotspots.
Initial assessment revealed 28 houses were totally destroyed and five sustained partial damage, with estimated property losses at ₱750,000. Investigators are considering electrical ignition as a potential cause.
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One casualty was reported in the Tambacan incident. Galelio Lovitos, a senior citizen, had initially escaped to safety but returned to his house to retrieve money intended for repairs following floods caused by Tropical Storm Basyang in February. Lovitos suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after being overwhelmed by heavy smoke.
"He was shocked because when they left, the smoke and fire hadn't reached their home yet; it was still at the neighbor's. When he went back, he was met by a wall of smoke," Tambacan Councilor Beverly Bastasa said in the local dialect.
Bastasa noted that narrow pathways in the densely populated community delayed firetrucks from entering immediately, which accelerated the fire's spread. Residents resorted to using canal water to slow the flames while waiting for first responders.
Affected residents are currently taking shelter at the barangay gymnasium annex. Bastasa confirmed that at least 50 families, including room-sharers and renters, have been displaced.
Second fire hits Del Carmen
While crews were still battling the Tambacan blaze, a second fire call was received at 9:34 a.m. in Purok 8C, Urban Poor Valley, Barangay Del Carmen.
A second alarm was raised at 9:40 a.m. The fire was controlled by 10:16 a.m. and put out at 11:34 a.m.
Seven houses were damaged or destroyed, resulting in ₱300,000 in damages. Initial findings point to unattended cooking as the probable cause.
Resource constraints exposed
FO2 Pairat acknowledged that the simultaneous incidents exposed critical resource shortages within the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), particularly regarding personnel and equipment.
At the height of the Tambacan response, nearly all available city personnel and trucks were deployed. Some units exhausted their water supplies during the hours-long operation, and firefighters faced severe physical exhaustion.
Despite the challenges, the BFP contained both fires with vital assistance from volunteer brigades and barangay units equipped with firetrucks, including DRR, Gaisano, Villaverde, and Tibanga.
Displaced families have received initial relief from the local government unit (LGU) and partner agencies, including hygiene kits, rice, and kitchen supplies.
The BFP reminds the public to remain vigilant during the current hot weather by regularly inspecting electrical connections and never leaving cooking unattended. As of May 2026, the BFP has recorded 10 fire calls for the month and 52 total incidents for the current quarter.
