Chinese New Year: China-made fan triggers fire, guts down 8 houses

CATBALOGAN CITY, SAMAR, Philippines — A cheap and low-quality rechargeable electric fan, commonly available in Taiwanese-managed stores, was being blamed to have caused a fire that razed at least eight houses in Barangay Canlapwas, while the Chinese New Year was being celebrated in this city the other day.

The fire, which resulted in an estimated P1.5 million in damages, occurred at about 1 a.m., or a few minutes after the fireworks display in the city that greeted the Chinese New Year, according to  City Fire Marshall, Fire Sr. Insp. Leonel Aurilla.

"It started from a 2-storey boarding house being occupied by a certain Antonette Calixtro and her family, and quickly spread to neighboring houses owned by Genaro Tabontabon and Panfilo Dela Cruz, including that of SPO2 Mario Abutog who owns the boarding house where the fire originated," Aurilla said.

Aurilla said concerned citizens went to the Fire Station to inform them of the incident, and firefighters were immediately dispatch to the scene with those from the Chinese Fire Volunteer Brigade. No casualty was reported however.

Bobby Dela Cruz, a resident in the area whose house was just in front of the conflagration, told The Freeman that they heard a sort of a blast and saw bright light from Abutog's boarding house.

"We were caught by surprise because it happened so fast. We saw the smoke and in just a while fire already broke-out, thus we immediately scampered to save our belongings. It is really not safe to use those cheap and low-quality appliances. We don't know what danger awaits us with those kind of products," Dela Cruz added. (FREEMAN)