There was no reported injury in the fire that started at a room in the second floor of the 20-room lodge house, and fire investigators estimated the damage to property at about P200,000.
The Cebu City Fire Department received the alarm at 7:14 a.m. and responding firemen were able to control the blaze in four minutes after arriving at the scene.
Fire Marshall, Supt. Esmael Codilla, told reporters that the initial investigation showed that three young men, reportedly high in drugs, checked in Wednesday evening at Room 216.
Before the fire, two of them went out of the room and asked lodge cashier Josephine Engris to change their P500 note, but the latter declined because there was no loose change at the time.
Engris said the two went back to their room apparently disgusted and, shortly after, she smelled something burning then a thick smoke emanated from the room where the three teenagers stayed.
The fire spread quickly through the ceiling into the other rooms of the lodge while the three boys were seen scampering down the stairs and out of the building.
Chief investigator, SFO3 Allan Arciaga, said further investigation is still conducted to determine if it was really arson or if the three youths could be held responsible for it. - Norvie S. Misa/RAE