Mambaling fire destroys 70 houses, displaces over 400 persons

Fire in Alaska Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City on Wednesday, September 18, 2019. CDN Digital photo | Delta Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines —The fire that razed 70 houses to the ground in Sitio Wangyu and Sitio Alaska, Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City on Wednesday, September 18, was most likely caused by faulty electrical wiring.

In the initial investigation of Senior Fire Officer 3 Oliver Tautho, the lead investigator of the case, the fire started in the house of a certain Mamierto Ravina, Jr., around 11:07 a.m.

Tautho told CDN Digital that Ravina’s son reported to his father that the ceiling of their house caught fire.

The family tried to put out the fire but failed so they decided to leave the house.

Meanwhile, the fire quickly spread to other houses because most of the structures in the area are made of light materials.

This is also the reason why the  Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) found the fire very hard to put out.

At least 70 houses were affected by the fire, which was put out an hour later or at 1:26 p.m.

“Most likely the cause of the fire would be faulty wiring,” said Tautho.

Fire officers are still conducting an investigation on the incident.

Meanwhile, Cebu City’s Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) reported that 100 families or over 400 individuals are affected by the fire.

This is based on data gathered as of 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 18.

At least 48 houses were totally burned while the rest were partially burned.

The evacuees are currently housed in the Mambaling Alaska Gym and have been provided with food by the city government.

DSWS said that the number of victims may still rise since the counting of the families is still being completed.

Mayor Edgardo Labella also visited the fire site to check the situation of the fire victims. / celr