Fire broke out at a squatter's area in Purok Hervias II, Brgy. Villamonte in Bacolod City, destroying eight houses and damaging three others at about 8:40 p.m. Monday.

Initial reports said the fire that started from the ground floor and northern portion of the house of Danny and Vilma Balaobao, damaged about P500,000 worth of property.

Reports said it was caused by unattended live coal embers that spread and burned light materials in the house.

FO3 Prenie Melgar, fire investigator of the Bureau of Fire and Protection. yesterday said one of the occupants in the house of the Balaobaos, who has not yet been identified, was cooking dinner at about 6 p.m. that day, but went to his neighbor's house to watch a television show, leaving live coals in the stove.

The houses destroyed were owned by the Balaobaos, Adoracion Bustamante, Nestor and Elena Doremon, Ludelin Gallenero, Crisanto dela Cruz, Juan and Daniel Doremon and Arturo Legarto.

Damaged were those of Myrna Doremon, Renato Plasus and Edgar Hautea, fire reports showed. Nobody was injured during the incident, reports added.

The fire was controlled at about 8:56 p.m. and was declared out at about 9:10 p.m. with the help of the BFP firefighters, and the Amity and Filipino-Chinese Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigades.