Fire hits Mandaue Market

For the second time this week, barangay Mantuyong in Mandaue City was hit by yet another fire, this one razing fifteen stalls of the barangay's flea market along Ceniza Street dawn yesterday.

It was the fourth fire to hit Cebu and Mandaue City since the start of March, ironically Fire Prevention Month.

Last Wednesday dawn, more than 7,000 individuals were left homeless after a dawn fire razed their houses, mostly made of light materials, not only in Mantuyong but also the neighboring barangay Guizo.

SFO1 Roy Garcia of Mandaue City Bureau of Fire Protection told reporters that the fire started at the stall of certain Linda Maquilan around 12:18 a.m.

The fire started at the kitchen area where a certain Ramonito Arcenal was reportedly cooking beans using firewood, but did not notice that the wooden wall had caught fire.

Since most of the stalls were made of light materials, the fire easily spread and razed the neighboring stalls.

No one was reported hurt during the incident but fire investigators pegged the damaged at P75,000.

The fire was put under control after three minutes after firemen arrived at the scene, fire marshal Oscar Mayol raise it to the first alarm. - Edwin Ian Melecio