CEBU, Philippines – A fire, believed to have started from a leaky butane canister that got accidentally ignited, razed several houses in a Muslim community in Purok Germelina, Barangay Poblacion, Lapu-Lapu City yesterday morning.
It drizzled for a while but only after at least 23 houses were already flattened out by the flames.
Few witnesses told Senior Fire Officer 1 Climaco Salisid of the Lapu-Lapu City Fire District that the fire started at around 10:41 a.m. on the second floor of the house owned by a certain “Sarah.”
Firefighters rushed to the scene but could not immediately contain the blaze because the houses were mostly made of light materials.
Salisid identified the burned down houses as that of Geofford Lemosnero, Evangiline Gemodo, Rogelio Arong, Mario Pason, Danilo Estores, Erma Villacanillo, Consolacion Estores, Jares Mangubat, Razzel Udtohan and Vergie Mangubat.
Other houses destroyed by the fire were owned by Antonia Pejo, Romeo Mejia, Romeo Pejo, Rex Fuentes, Victor Regino, Mery Ann Mejia, Paolo Guinal, Jabar Muslimin, Alawi Noynay, Palaw Lucman, Abdulah Guinal, Saman Saripada and Acmad Paminataw.
Another five houses owned by Roberto Tumulak, Rovelyn Esona, Jamilah Pitan and Niño Suello also incurred damages.
After being raised to third alarm, the fire was finally declared put out at around 12:15 noon.
According to initial investigation, the fire may have originated from a leaked butane canister containing liquefied petroleum gas, which may have been accidentally ignited.
While waiting for the clearing operations, the victims are temporarily housed in tents situated in a vacant lot just across the fire site.
Workers from the City Social Welfare Development office distributed food packs good for three days to the affected residents.
The barangay and the city government said they are still in the process of studying the proposal of extending financial assistance to the victims.