The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office named two personnel among the first to respond, as Canlaon Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas offered assistance to everyone hurt in the Oct. 21 fire.
DUMAGUETE CITY — The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO) has released an official statement detailing how police personnel responded to the fire that hit Canlaon City’s booth at the Buglasan Festival on Wednesday night, October 21, 2026.
Nine people suffered minor injuries, mostly abrasions and minor burns, and were in stable condition, according to a statement from the Buglasan Festival Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee. The committee described the blaze as an accidental electrical fire.
Citing initial Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reports, the committee said the alarm was received at 9:04 p.m., firefighters arrived at 9:07 p.m., the fire was under control by 9:09 p.m., and fire-out was declared at 9:15 p.m.
Police account of the response
In its statement, NOrPPO said responding personnel went to the scene as soon as they learned of the fire. It identified Police Corporal Nelson Antequeño of the Canlaon City Police Station and Patrolman Joselito Ramirez of the 5th Maneuver Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion–Negros Island Region, as among the first responders.
According to NOrPPO, the two secured a fire extinguisher and tried to contain the flames. When conditions became more hazardous, they moved to a safer distance to reassess, then helped secure injured persons and move them to a safer area. Other PNP personnel nearby also brought fire extinguishers, the statement said, but the fire continued to intensify.
NOrPPO said it will work with the BFP, the Buglasan Festival Committee, and the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental on the ongoing investigation and on strengthening safety measures for the rest of the festival.
Canlaon mayor offers aid
Canlaon City Mayor Jose Chubasco “Batchuk” Cardenas, in a statement written in Cebuano and English, expressed sympathy to all those affected and said the city government is ready to assist those injured in the incident, whether or not they are from Canlaon.
Cardenas said the booth was the work of artists and residents who wanted the rest of the province to see Canlaon’s culture and pride. He said that even with the damage, the remaining structure still shows how carefully it was designed and built.
“The structure may be damaged, but we can still see how beautiful it was because it was built with pride,” Cardenas said.
He added that the city will continue to take part in Buglasan.
Background
The basket-shaped booth carried the city’s label “Vegetable Basket of Negros Oriental.” It was one of the local government unit booths competing in the Buglasan LGU Booths Fair Competition, which opened on October 15. Final judging is scheduled for October 24, and the festival closes on October 25.
The cause of the fire remains subject to the BFP investigation.