P800T damage Fire leaves 50 homeless in Barangay Sambag 2

CEBU, Philippines - Eight houses were razed while three others were damaged in a 20-minute fire that broke yesterday morning in a densely populated sitio Kawayan, Barangay Sambag II, Cebu City leaving at least 50 people homeless.

Cebu City fire marshal Aderson Comar said the origin of the fire was initially traced to a 2-storey house owned by a certain Gloria Abregana.

Initial information gathered by fire investigators reveal that an overheated rice cooker in the room rented by a certain Jerry Solis may have caused the fire that resulted an estimated P800,000 damage.

Among the houses burned were owned by Rudolpho Presensyano, Simeon Colis, Clark Galin, Sepriano Balili, Lorna Boyok, Epipanya Anuling, Esperanza Bukog and Feliza Remata.

The houses of Winy Wenceslao, Jonathan Alpaparo and Philippe Alburo were also damaged.

Comar said the fire alarm was tapped at 9:16 a.m. and was declared under control 20 minutes later. A general alarm was raised because most of the houses in the area were made of light materials.

Sambag II barangay captain Carl Belarmino immediately convened the members of the barangay council for an emergency session and declared sitio Kayawan under state of calamity.

Belarmino said that the estimated 50 individuals affected by the fire, which was allegedly the third to hit the place, are temporarily placed at the barangay sports complex.

Belarmino said the barangay is giving them food provisions and other relief goods. According to Belarmino, the incident happened just few days after the fire department conducted a “home fire safety inspection” in their place.

Comar said they had a hard time penetrating the fire scene because of the narrow access road. In fact, some of the fire trucks were trapped. 

“Naglisod pag sulod ang atong mga fire trucks kay huot kayo ang daan pasulod,” Comar said.

Comar said yesterday’s fire was the 14th in November. He is asking the city government to hasten its plan to widen the access roads in areas identified as fire-prone.

Comar said there are at least 20 barangays in Cebu City that are considered fire-prone because they do not have adequate access roads.

“Lisod kaayo kun wala tay maagian nga daan sa atong mga fire trucks,” Comar said. 

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who arrived at the fire scene on a tricycle cab, instructed Belarmino to search for ways to prevent similar incident from happening again.

“I want that they will have a barangay level plan to make the area more accessible,” Rama said. – (FREEMAN)