Five injured in Bulacao blaze

CEBU, Philippines - At least 13 houses were destroyed while five people, including two children, were reported injured when a fire struck at the interior portion of sitio Laguna, Barangay Bulacao, yesterday afternoon.

The 25-minute fire, which was reported at 1:40 pm, also brought panic to parents and students of the nearby Bulacao Community Elementary School which was having a make-up class.

Insp. Jose Laurito, the officer-in-charge of the Cebu City Fire Department, said the fire razed 12 houses and damaged two others. He said the fire started from the house of one Marilou Ouano which was also razed by the fire.

Laurito said they are verifying reports that Ouano’s children played with matchsticks that triggered the fire. He said they will be inviting Ouano as part of their investigation.

When the fire broke out, Ouano immediately attended to her kids and reportedly sustained minor burns in the process. Her one-year old child reportedly sustained minor burns, too, while trying to escape from the fire scene.

Both are now at the hospital.

Fire investigator SFO2 Emiliano Daño disclosed that 10-year-old Jessa Althea Saducas, a Grade 6 student of the said school, injured her right elbow after she was sideswiped by a tricycle and was pinned on a fire truck.

“Naa’y tricycle ga-parking unya nasangit man sa mga nanglapas nga atop so niatras na lang, unya mikalit man na og abante og balik, didto nasangit sa luyo sa fire truck. Natunong sad na miagi ang bata, napiit, (The tricycle was parking but snagged the roof. He tried to move back but suddenly moved forward, hit the fire truck and hit the child who was passing by),” Daño narrated.

The girl was taken to the Miller Hospital.

Daño said they are trying to get the names of the two others who reportedly sustained burns as well while trying to escape from the flames.

Responding police also reported one James Villamiro, 25, who allegedly fell off the roof while trying to save his things from the fire.

Students of the nearby school were crying and parents started appearing at the school to fetch their children after learning about the fire.

Anita Villaner, a Grade 6 teacher, said they sent the students outside the rooms and lined them up while waiting for information from the firemen.

“Nanga-rattle ang mga bata. Nanghilak kay duol na ang sunog unya daghan nang ginikanan pud nangabot kay kuhaon ilang mga anak. Hasta gani mi mga maestro nahadlok, nagkurog gani akong tuhod. (The children got scared and cried because the fire was so near. Many parents arrived to fetch their children. The teachers were scared too, my knees were shaking),” Villaner narrated.

Villaner said they were having their make-up class from Kindergarten to Grade 6 when the fire broke out.

Laurito said they had a hard time penetrating the area, which was located some 300 meters away from the national highway, because the roads were narrow and the fire was at the interior portion.  Only the mini-fire trucks were able to penetrate the area.

According to Laurito, the houses were situated near each other and were made mostly of light materials.

Laurito pegged the damage of the fire at P300,000. The fire, which was put out an hour later, was raised to the second alarm. —MIT (FREEMAN)