Fire razes 25 houses in Lahug

“That’s not true!”

This was the firm answer of Flor Fuentes, when The FREEMAN confirmed reports that the blaze which burned 25 and partially damaged 3 houses at Sitio IGA, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City at about 9:12 on Friday night, started in her house.

Fuentes, who sustained second degree burns on the upper part of her body, insisted that the fire did not start from their house but from the house of her neighbor, Glen Lukaylukay, which is adjacent to theirs.

“I was washing our clothes when I hear a loud bang outside our house which I just didn’t mind, but when I heard my neighbors shouting sunog (fire), I went upstairs only to see that it was already on fire,” she said in Cebuano.

Fuentes said her children, Ardel, 13; Kent Edward, 13; and Edssel, 14; were all with her downstairs and that nothing could have caused the fire from their house.

However, witness accounts reveal that the explosion reportedly originated from the second floor of Fuentes’ house. The flames easily engulfed neighboring houses and affected 71 families or 234 individuals.

As of last night, Lahug social worker, Emperatriz Capili, said they were able to list 26 house owners and 14 lodgers through the Cebu City Department of Social Welfare and Services.    

A neighbor of Fuentes, who requested anonymity, said he bought something from Fuentes’ sari-sari store when he noticed sparks from the second floor of their house.

Minutes later, he just heard a loud explosion and the place was on fire.   Cebu City Fire Marshal Aderson Comar said the cause of the fire, which destroyed around P350, 000 worth of properties, is still undetermined. The fire, which was controlled only within 15 minutes, reached the third alarm.

Contrary to Fuentes’ statements, one of her sons said that they left their phone plugged-in, which neighbors believe may have caused the blaze.

Barangay Captain Jovito Taborada, said they automatically placed the entire sitio under a state of calamity. They are planning to utilize their calamity funds to buy construction materials.

This is amidst most of the victims’ worries that they might not be allowed to construct their houses since the entire sitio was built on a lot owned by the Cebu Provincial Government. 

Taborada said most of the residents in the sitio have lived for over 30 years in the place and said that since then, there were no reports that the provincial government wants the lot back.

“Ang atong unahon karon nga makabalik og tukod sa ilang mga balay ang mga naapektohan sa sunog. Di gyud nato sila biyaan hantod dili sila mahiluna,” he told The FREEMAN. (Our priority now is for the fire victims to be able to construct their houses. We will not leave them until they are settled in the area.)

Several non-governmental organizations have extended their assistance to the fire victims who are now housed under tents in a nearby basketball court.  (FREEMAN)