‘Exploding solar panel’ blamed for Oslob fire that razed 3 houses

Mary Anne Rollon Gornita, her sons fiveyear-old Hanz Christian and seven-monthold Hanz Christopher were rushed to Oslob District Hospital where they were treated for first-degree burns Incident reported to fire station more than three hours after the inci

THREE houses were razed by fire after a solar panel exploded in Sitio Umbakon, Barangay Gawi, Oslob last Wednesday night.

Investigation showed that the blaze started in the house of Mary Anne Rollon Gornita, 35.

Gornita and her sons five-year-old Hanz Christian and seven-month-old Hanz Christopher suffered minor injuries.

PO2 Ariel Taguiam said a team of police officers rushed them to the Oslob District Hospital where they were treated for first-degree burns.

Before the incident happened at 2:20 p.m., investigation showed Gornita was busy tending to her children inside her house. She later heard explosions outside.

Gornita went out and discovered that her family’s solar panel was in flames.

Damage estimates

The fire reached the altar where a container of liquid gas was placed. The flames reached two other houses owned by Gornita’s brother and father.

The houses were mostly made of wood.

Damage to property was placed around P30,000.

Firefighters were not able to respond to the alarm because residents failed to report the incident. The Oslob Police Sta- tion received text messages from Gornita’s mother, Marcela Rollon Sesante, about the fire at 6:11 p.m., more than three hours after the incident.

Police relayed the information to the fire station in Umbakon, about five kilometers from the national highway.