Lighted candle started blaze? Fire razes houses along C Padilla St.

CEBU, Philippines – Several houses in a thickly-populated area in the interior portion of C. Padilla St. in barangay Duljo-Fatima and part of Mambaling were gutted by a fire late last night despite the heavy downpour.

The fire alarm was raised 9:06 p.m. and the fire fighters put it under control two hours and 20 minutes later.

According to radio reports, the fire started in the house of a certain Loben Mon-ineo, a widow.

Chito Fiel, who was interviewed over radio station dySS, said that he saw Mon-ineo light a candle shortly before the fire started.

He claimed that Monineo was on the second floor of her house and it was where the fire also started. Fiel also lost his house in the blaze.

Supt. Esmael Codilla, Cebu City Fire Marshal, said that they raised the alarm to Task Force Alpha less than an hour after they started fighting the blaze.

Firefighters from all over Metro Cebu were at the scene as of presstime. 

Cebu City Police Office Director Sr. Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe also rushed to the scene along with several policemen to help secure the area.

Heavy rain poured late last night, but the downpour did not do much to help put out the fire as strong winds blew fanning the flames towards several directions.

The Cebu City government has sent personnel to the area late last night. Former City Councilor Gerardo Carillo, who is now chairman of the Cebu City Disaster Coordi-nating Council, said that the fire victims will be housed at the nearby San Vicente gym and their food will be provided.

Firefighters faced the problem of narrow roads as their trucks could not penetrate the area where the blaze was fiercest.

A total of six sitios were affected as of 11 p.m., five in Duljo-Fatima and one in Mambaling.

Codilla estimated that there were about 70 to 80 houses that were destroyed. ? /NLQ (FREEMAN)