A FIRE broke out at the grassy area of the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City at past 2 pm Sunday, lasting two hours but causing no further damage.
“Kusog kaayo ang hangin. Igsugat nato sa kayo, tungod sa kusog na ang aso mo ariya mi kadiyot. Tungod usab sa kadako sa area nga affected maong naglisod pud ta (The wind was strong. When we were trying to put out the fire, the smoke pushed us back. The large area affected by the fire also delayed our efforts to put it out),” Cebu City Fire Marshal Noel Nelson Ababon said.
Ababon said it was a good thing that the fire site is a vacant area and the nearest houses were located meters away. The grass fire took place at a vacant lot beside SM Seaside City and just in front the San Pedro Calungsod template in SRP.
About eight fire trucks and water tankers were deployed in the area. The cause of the fire remains unknown as of this writing.
But Ababon said based on initial information there were children playing with fire near the unused tower of SRP, where the fire started. He said the warm weather could have also caused the fire to spread quickly since the grass was withered due to the heat.
The heat index in Cebu reached to 42 degree Celsius at past 1 pm Sunday. Pagasa Mactan weather specialist Nedz Saletrero said the temperature went down to a still warm 33.6 degree Celsius an hour later. “This is the hottest temperature we recorded this month,” he said.