Fire guts 6 houses, damages ten more in Quiot Pardo

CEBU, Philippines - A fire struck and damaged at least 10 houses in sitio Kalubihan, Barangay Quiot Pardo at past 1 pm yesterday.

People scampered in different directions while most saved their belongings from the huge fire. One of the residents got injured in the process.  The Cebu City Fire Department received the report about the fire at past 1 pm.

Insp. Jose Laurito, acting chief of the Cebu City Fire Department, said they raised the alert status of the fire to third alarm, sending all available fire trucks in the city to respond to the fire scene.

The fire was controlled 10 minutes later, he said.

The fire was eventually cleared out and it was found out that out of the 10 houses destroyed, 6 were gutted down. Most of the houses were made of light materials, which were susceptible to flames.

Laurito said they pegged the damage the fire caused at P300,000.

The fire official, based on their investigation, said the fire started at the house of one Victor Catubig.

Laurito believed that faulty electrical wiring caused the fire as sparks reportedly emitted from the wirings of the ceiling at the second floor of Catubig’s house. The fire sparks later developed into a blaze, Laurito further said.

Catubig’s house, which was made of light materials, was eaten up by the fire. One Alberto Onipa sustained minor burns while trying to get away from the fire.

Laurito said they initially had difficulty in putting out the fire because the burning houses were located in the interior portion of sitio Kalubihan. Luckily, there were alternative roads where their fire trucks and water hoses were able to pass through. —/MIT (FREEMAN)