A fireman helps to put out the fire in Barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Rosalie Dingal was carrying a small bread toaster in her arms as she ran away from a burning shop. Her face was filled with tears and sweat.
“Mao ra ni akong naluwas pero ambot lang kung unsaon ko ni (This is the only thing I saved but I don’t even know what to do with this),” she said.
Rosalie worked in a plastic junkshop in Sitio Ticgahun, Barangay Bankal in Lapu-Lapu City that was ashed by fire Friday afternoon.
The plastic junkshop is owned by Marigondon barangay captain Lucresia Amores and her husband, Raulito.
Based on initial investigation by the Lapu-Lapu Fire Station, a garbage fire left unattended at the back of the junkshop spread to neighboring structures and caused the blaze, which was raised to second alarm.
“Tulo ni ka structures ang nasunog. Naay kartonan, ang plastican sa atubangan ug naapil pud ang water station sa kilid (Three structures were involved in the fire. A carton junkshop, plastic junkshop and a water-refilling station were burned down), SFO2 Climaco Salisid said.
He added that the fire had easily spread and was hard to control due to the materials inside the junkshops.
More than 30 workers of the plastic junkshop, including Rosalie, initially tried to put out the fire when they saw it spread from the back of their shop.
“Nagtabang-tabang mi alsa og balde pero wala na gyud namo nakaya kay dako kaayo mao nanagan na lang mi sa gawas (We all helped carry pails of water but the fire was already too big so we decided to run out), Rosalie said.
Marigondon barangay captain Amores said she had long complained about the people burning garbage beside her junkshop.
“Sige nako og sumbong sa Solid Waste Management kay kahibaw ko na kun masunog, paspas kaayo gyud na ang kayo (I already filed complaint to the Solid Waste Management because I know that if there’s fire, it will easily spread), the village chief said, crying.
Her husband, Raulito, added that they just bought a new plastic grinder machine for the shop, in addition to the five machines they have been using for eight years already. Aside from the machines, at least 30 tons of industrial plastics were also destroyed by the fire.
“Mokabat gyud to siguro og P5 million ang kato na mga machine. Wala gyud mi nasalba bisan usa (The machines cost at least P5 million. We haven’t saved even one), Raulito said.
The owner of the carton junkshop, William Paquibot, said he already closed his business five months ago.
Paquibot said his shop had been cleared of materials that could have made the fire bigger.
“Nakadungog ko na nidako daw ang kayo tungod sa akong shop na hagbay ra man nang walay operation kay na-diapose na tanang karton (I heard that the fire got bigger because of my shop when in fact, it was not operating anymore because all the cartons there had been disposed already), Paquibot said.
The other structure destroyed by the fire, a water-refilling station, was owned by AJ Pumar.
SFO2 Salisid said they received the fire alarm at 1:39 p.m., and declared the fire under control 30 minutes after.
Salisid, however, estimated the damage to property to at least P250,000.