Roxas City fire guts 182 houses

CEBU, Philippines – At least 182 houses and a warehouse were gutted by fire at Roxas City in Capiz Sunday evening.

Narrow alleys have made it hard for fire trucks to penetrate Barangay 9 and Barangay Punta Tabuc. The fire, which broke out around 7:45 p.m., was placed under control after three hours. The Bureau of Fire Protection – Roxas City declared a fire out at 9:12 a.m. by Monday.

Initial investigation revealed there were 147 families affected, or about 2000 persons. Some 47 families are now housed in temporary shelter at the Dinggoy Roxas Civic Center.

Residents who lost their homes told investigators that the fire started from the Calabo residence of Punta Tabuc. It then spread to neighboring houses there and those at the adjacent Barangay 9.

Senior Superintendent Samuel Nacion, Capiz Police chief, said some of the 182 totally burned houses were already uninhabited. “Since most of the houses are made of light materials, the fire quickly gutted them,” he added.

The BFP-Roxas City has yet to determine the origin and cause of fire, and assess the damage to property.