Fire razes 26 houses during sitio fiesta

CEBU, Philippines - The fiesta celebration of Sitio Bugnay, Barangay Labangon, was marred by a fire that destroyed 26 homes yesterday afternoon.

Residents of the sitio were celebrating the feast of Senior San Isidro Labrador when a fire broke out around 3 p.m. yesterday.

At least four people were injured during the fire, Cebu City Fire Marshall Aderson Comar said.

Two of those injured were identified as Jimboy Caballero, 23, and his father Peregrinos Caballero, 52. A 50-year-old man also suffered minor burns in his body while another man got a cut in one of his feet after he hit a gaff while he was trying to save his things.

Comar said the number of damaged houses may yet increase.

“Gubot pa man gud kaayo labi na ka’y pyesta,” he said, adding that some of the structures that were affected by the fire were shanties.

Comar said the fire reportedly started at the second floor of a house owned by the Caballeros.

Based on their investigation an electric fan in one of the rooms at the said floor suddenly exploded, Comar said.

Jimboy was sleeping near the electric fan and suffered the most serious injury when it exploded.

Comar said the exact extent of Jimboy’s injuries have not been determined yet as he is still being treated at the Cebu City Medical Center, also in the hospital is his father who only suffered minor burns, and the two other victims.

They were brought to the hospital by the responding Basak-Pardo Emergency Rescue team.

The fire marshal said they had difficulty in penetrating the area because aside from the narrow pathways, kibitzers were also blocking their way.

Comar said they had to connect hoses to be able to spray directly at the blaze.

Despite the challenges, the firefighters were able to control the fire 17 minutes after arriving at the scene, he said. Fire trucks from the neighboring cities also responded to help put out the fire.

Comar pegged the damage at P260,000.

Barangay Captain Victor Buendia, in a report over dyAB, said they temporarily housed the fire victims to their old barangay hall.

The Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council, as of press time, said 204 victims, comprising 56 families, were affected by the fire. — (FREEMAN)