Republic of the Philippines

Department of Interior and Local Government

BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION
Opol FIRE STATION
Opol, Cagayan de Oro City

MEMORANDUM

FOR : INSP JAMES DARHON SALON, BFP

Station Fire Marshal
Opol Fire Station

SUBJECT : Final Investigation Report

DATE : 10 May 2023

FINAL INVESTIGATION REPORT

Misamis Oriental Fire Department
(F.I.R.) DES Monument, Capital, Brgy. 1

01. PLACE OF FIRE: 02. TIME AND DATE OF ALARM:

Opol, Misamis Oriental 0445H 5 May 2023

03. ESTABLISHMENT BURNED: 04. FIRE VICTIM/S:

Regalado Residence, 2 Storey Residential
House Mario Regalado

05. DAMAGE TO PROPERTY:

One Million Two Hundred and Fifty-Six
Thousand Pesos (PhP1,256,000)

06. ORIGIN OF FIRE: Kitchen, Right corner where the Stove was located

07. CAUSE OF FIRE: LPG Tank leakage that resulted into explosion and rapid fire
spread

08. SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTS: (Ideal documents to be gathered by the fire and

arson investigator in relation to Chapter IV, Section 5 of BFP SOP NR .IID 2008-01)

A. Spot Investigation Report

B. Progress Investigation Report
C. Affidavit of loss (itemized and duly notarized)
D. Sworn statement of loss submitted to insurance adjusters / companies
E. Latest complete inventory of stocks prior to the fire incident
F. Complete inventory of salvaged items after the fire incident
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 G. Complete copies of insurance policies to include co-insurances
H. Sworn statements of witnesses
I. Income Tax Return (ITR) for the last three (3) years
J. Financial statements for the last three (3) years
K. Balance sheets for the last three (3) years
L. Mayor’s permit and Business license
M. Occupancy permit
N. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) registration
O. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration
P. Latest Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC)
Q. Complete list of employees
R. Approved Floor, Building and Electrical Plans
S. Copy of lease contract agreement
T. Land title / tax declaration
U. ALS BFP National Headquarters Laboratory Report
V. Photographs of the fire scene

FACTS OF THE CASE:

That on or about 0450H of May 5, 2023, FO1 Darhon James Salon received an
emergency call from one (1) Belgium Badilla informing the duty personnel of this station that
a residential fire was in progress at 13th street, Brgy. Nazareth, Cagayan de Oro City.
Immediately thereafter, the Rosenbauer Firetruck was dispatched and driven by FO1 James
Harry Aldeguer with SFO1 Jazer Publico, FO2 Shane Louise Labeta and FO2 John Christian
Manlimos as a crew and proceeded to the said location. Upon arrival at the scene, the team
conducted effective size-up of the situation in which a residential house is involved in the said
structural fire. And it was found out that the entire first floor of the house is engulfed by fire.
Responding firefighters laid their hoses and conducted direct attack to suppress the fire. The
fire was recorded to be under control by 0509H, the fire was totally extinguished and declared
fire out by 0523H on the same day. Investigation was thereafter conducted. Involved in this
fire incident was two (2) Storey Residential Model House with Veranda, was built mostly of
mixed material. First floor is entirely concrete, second floor composed of concrete foundations
and mostly wood layered walls with wooden architectural roof skeleton coverd by galvanized
iron and roof brick tile. Owned and occupied by one (1) Mario C Regalado. ALU found
flammable particulates left on debris samples collected from the fire scene the composition of
which are byproducts of Liquefied Petroleum Gas. This finding does not imply intentional
burning or calculated movement for explosion using incendiary devices.

According to the statement of Mario Regalado during the initial interview, he was
not at the residence and was sleeping at a friend’s house when the incident transpire. He got
informed by the Nazareth Fire Station through his contact detail posted on his mail and arrived
at the scene by 0546H, 23 minutes after fire out.
Statements were gathered of one (1) Belgium Badilla, residence of the area and neighbor of
Mario Regalado. He stated that he was watching the morning news when the incident
happened. While watching, Mr. Badilla assert that he heard a loud explosion from his next
door neighbor. The explosion rattled the community and the residence went out including Mr.
Badilla, he further asserted that the fire spread very rapidly after the explosion. He (Belgium
Badilla) contacted the Nazareth Fire Station by 0445H. No damage to other nearby structures
were documented and/or reported.

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FINDINGS:

Investigation suggests that the fire origin was located in the kitchen through soot
path pattern, extent of damage, scaling or spalling pattern of concrete and hotspots during first
minutes after the declaration of fire out. Specifically, the fire was caused by the explosion of
LPG tank attached to a double burner gas stove located at the right corner of the
kitchen/residence. Explosion and burn pattern suggest a mass leakage by the suspected LPG
tank that might be ignited by electrical current running through the kitchen appliances inside
the residence. The already prevalent leaked gas inside the home rapidly combusted that
resulted to the explosion and rapid fire spread. Due to the nature of the fire, the flames spread
from the first floor to the second floor much more light material construct. The fire collapsed
the walls of the second floor.

no significant signs of intended arson or evidence of perpetrated intentional fire was

ever found on the fire scene and the duty investigator firmly assert that the cause of fire was
accidental. No properties were saved nor recover during the salvage operation.

RECOMMENDATION:

ALU findings be tabulated

SIGNED this 10th of May 2023 at the CDOFD DES Monument, Opol, Misamis
Oriental, Philippines.

JAZER PUBLICO
Senior Fire Officer 4
Fire and Arson Investigator

Noted By:

RAFAEL BAGO
Senior Fire Officer 4
Chief of the Investigation and Intelligence Office

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