CEBU, Philippines - Despite the Bureau of Fire Protection’s celebration of the Fire Prevention Month, another fire hit Balagtas Street, Barangay Pahina Central, Cebu City yesterday.
The early morning blaze which started at around 6:39 a.m. destroyed 26 houses and partially damaged six others.
The affected residents, who were mostly asleep, were surprised by the fire. 106 individuals comprising 38 families were affected.
Ederlita Macapas, 57, who was cooking, claimed that the fire started from the second floor of the house owned by Marcelino Claro which was leased to Terisita Mata and Leonardo Ozon. It was, however, not clear what caused the fire.
Macapas said it only took a few seconds before Claro’s house went into flames, easily spreading to neighboring houses which were made of light materials.
“People started running - coming from all directions when the fire got bigger,” she told The FREEMAN.
Cebu City Fire Marshal Aderson Comar said the fire was controlled only within three minutes through the help of three firewalls surrounding the fire scene.
However, he said firefighting continued for the next 30 minutes as they successfully confined the fire which moved towards houses near Panganiban Street.
The fire, which only reached the second alarm, destroyed P400,000 worth of properties.
Comar said mini fire trucks from barangay brigades greatly helped in their operation after they were able to penetrate the fire scene where other teams could not.
Several rooms of the Lim apartment fronting the fire scene were partly damaged after the flames towered two to three stories high.
Though they considered the firefighting a success, Cebu City Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office Executive Director Alvin Santillana said there seemed to be some problems on the deployment of the fire trucks around the area.
He said most of the big fire trucks from the BFP and from other volunteer brigades were trapped at Balagtas Street causing panic among residents at the Sanciangko Street side.
“The fire was heading towards the back (Sanciangko area) and there were no fire trucks aside from a few mini trucks,” he said, prompting him to call for additional fire trucks to transfer at the back to meet the flames.
Saved by the Dog
They say a dog is a man’s best friend and this was proven in yesterday’s blaze after a street dog barked to save lodgers who were deeply asleep.
Jocelyn, 29, a lodger, said they would have died in yesterday’s blaze if not for their neighbor’s dog.
The dog’s incessant barking woke her up and so she immediately woke her boardmate Sherlyn up and they both rushed outside their room.
While on their way out, Sherlyn was injured on her right thigh from a burning wire. The dog, which was also caught in the commotion, only lost most of its fur and luckily not its life.
Aside from Sherlyn, Juliet and Phoebe Baclayo and Chito Talaub also sustained minor burns and abrasions while trying to flee their burning rooms.
Pahina Central Barangay Captain Carlo Yap said the victims will be housed temporarily at their sports center while others will be at a nearby basketball court.
Yap has also directed barangay social workers to coordinate with the Cebu City Department of Social Welfare and Services for the distribution of food rations.
The barangay council declared the area under state of calamity yesterday. Most of the affected are department store workers and college students. –(FREEMAN)