At least 23 structures were burned while three others were damaged in a fire that hit Sitios Sto. Niño and Missionary in Barangay Suba Monday night.
Fire investigators are yet to determine the cause of the fire which was believed to have started at the residence of a certain Marife Espinosa.
Cebu City Fire Marshal Rogelio Bongabong said in an interview with radio dyAB that they are still looking for Espinosa to get her statement on how the fire started.
He said that they are looking at three possibilities – butane explosion, unattended cooking and wire tapping – which may have caused the fire which started at 6:11 p.m. and placed under control 34 minutes later.
“Daghan kaayo ang allegations pero wala pa tay na finalize sa pagka karon (Several allegations on how the fire started have been floated, but we are yet to determine its actual cause),” he said.
Suba Barangay Captain Jojo Sable said fire victims will be accommodated at the barangay gym for the night.
Monday night’s fire, Sable said, was already the second which hit Sitio Missionary in the last seven years. The first fire happened in 2010.
Bongabong said that difficulty of access prevented them from immediately putting out Monday night’s fire.
Several trisikads were left in the middle of the barangay road while its drivers run to save their belongings from getting burned, obstructing the way of fire responders.
Fire fighters had to connect their hoses to reached burning house made from a combination of light and concrete materials.
Damage to property pegged at P0.5M. Fire fighters from Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu responded to the alarm.