Fire razes 2 houses in Mambaling

CEBU, Philippines - Two houses were razed to the ground when a fire hit in Sitio Bayabas, Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City at past 8:00 p.m. Sunday.

Cebu City Fire Station Investigator, SFO1 Lowell Opolentisima, in an interview with the media said that the fire started at the house of Epifanio Gerado which spread out to his neighbors.

 The City Fire Department received the alarm at 8:43 p.m. and firefighters scrambled to the fire scene, he said.

 Opolentisima said the fire was declared under control after 25 minutes of continuous firefighting.

 Opolentisima estimated the damage to be around P200,000 after two houses were razed to the ground.

 George Gerado in an interview with The FREEMAN at the fire scene said that he noticed their circuit breaker sparked and switched off, so he switched it on.

 Later he noticed that one of the rooms at the second floor is already engulfed with fire so he immediately saved whatever he can before the fire grew big.

 He clarified that he only has one Christmas light inside their house but the electrical wirings is left unchecked for 20 years already.

 Eugenio Alegre Jr. said that he was sleeping soundly when he noticed that his house was burning so he immediately ran outside and tired to save his jeepneys.    

“Natulog unta ko nisilaob diritso diha, dagan dayon ko, abli kos hose, akong gipasiritan akong jeep,” said Alegre.

 He said his wife also ran away and he did not know where she went.

 Moments later his wife, Maria, came to see his husband bringing with her the only thing she saved, the image of Our Lady of Rules that she put inside a sack.

 â€œWa ko ma-rattle, nidagan lang ko, nabiktima na man sad mi’g sunog sa una, gisalbar gyud nako ang Birhen sa Regla,” Maria said.

 According to Eugenio, he and his other drivers were about to celebrate their Christmas party yesterday but with the fire incident they won’t be able to celebrate it anymore.

 Alegre added that this was the second time he fell victim to a fire incident after the first in 2006 when he was living in Basak Pardo.

 â€œParty unta namu ugma tawon, kaduha na ko nasunogi, Basak Pardo niadtong 2006, wala naman mabalik ang balay, nianhi ko diri kay diri man grahi akong jeep, nihangyo kos tag-iya nga ari ko magtukod balay,” Alegre added.

 When Alegre was asked whether he will still celebrate Christmas and New Year he only said, “wala nay Pasko ug Bag-ong Tuig.”  (FREEMAN)