New Year’s Day: Fire razes 69 houses, leaves 110 families homeless in Tacloban

CEBU, Philippines – At least 69 houses were burned to the ground, leaving 110 families homeless, when a fire broke out at around 12:10 a.m. on January 1, minutes after the New Year’s Day revelry started at Barangay 56 of Pericohon district in Tacloban City.

Firefighters battled the conflagration with difficulty in accessing the interior portion of the barangay, which according to residents was already razed by fire twice in the past years.

Some fire hydrants in the area were not functioning, reports said, and the firefighters were able to declare a fire out at around 3 a.m., or about two hours after they responded to the alarm.

Fire investigators said Barangay Chairman Cesar Advincula reported that the fire started at the second floor of the house of a certain Salvacio Maurillo, and spread quickly to the other houses, mostly made of light materials.

There were other reports that the fire was caused by a firecracker, known as Kwetes, which accidentally flew and swooped into the clothesline, and then hit a live wire, triggering the conflagration.

There were no casualties reported, except for some residents who sustained bruises as they panicked in getting away from the sudden blaze.

The homeless victims are now housed at the Tacloban Astrodome, while others are at the nearby Redemptorist Church compound.

The Tzu Chi Foundation immediately responded and distributed relief goods to the victims, while the Tingog Sinirangan group had conducted a feeding program yesterday morning.

Acting Mayor Jerry “Sambo” Yaokasin told The Freeman that the City Social Welfare Department had also provided food packs and other items to the affected families.

The Office of Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (1st district, Leyte) distributed food packs, and the members and officers of Jaycees International-Tacloban, some of whom were residents near the fire scene, provided relief assistance also.

Yaokasin commented that a high-density area, such as Pericohon, should have functioning fire hydrants. “This barangay, as well as nearby Anibong, should create fire escape routes for constituents, and routes to guide firefighters to a vantage point in extinguishing the flames,” he said.

The vice mayor added: “We will push for an ordinance that will provide strict regulations in buying, selling and using of firecrackers in the city to prevent fires and injuries in the future.”  (FREEMAN)