Fire razes 80 houses, displaces more than 500 in Cebu City

Fire hits a residential area in Sitio Panting, Barangay San Roque, Cebu City on Nov. 3, 2019, razing 80 houses. |CDND Photo/ Gerard Francisco

CEBU CITY, Philippines — At least 80 houses including one apartment building were burned down by the fire that hit Sitio Panting, Barangay San Roque, Cebu City a minute before 3 p.m. today, Sunday, November 3, 2019.

According to Doctor Jeffrey Ybones, head of Cebu City’s Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS), they have listed 133 families consisting of more than 500 individuals who were affected by the fire as of 6: 30 p.m.

Ybones said they expected the number to rise as there were still fire victims who remained at the fire site to sift through their burned down houses and were yet to get themselves listed at the Barangay San Roque gymnasium where they are currently evacuated.

The victims of the fire that razed 80 houses in Sitio crowd the barangay’s gymnasium where they are have been evacuated.
CDND Photo / Gerard Vincent Francisco

Cebu Provincial Fire Marshal Fretzie Manatad, on the other hand, told reporters  they were still determining what caused the fire, even as they were looking at the possible explosion of an automatic tubig machine (ATM) and faulty electrical wiring as having triggered the fire.

Manatad said they were also trying to locate a Dana Bebs Portugal, who was reported to be the owner of the house where the fire began.

The fire, which was reported around at 2:59 p.m., was raised to a third alarm at 3:25. By 4:05 p.m., the fire department raised the alarm to Task force Alpha, which meant that the City Fire Department was calling for help from the nearby cities.

It was not until 6:20 p.m. that that fire was placed under control. Fire officers declared a fire out at 6:58 p.m., or four hours after the fire started.

Firefighters train their hoses on burning houses in Sitio Panting, Barangay San Roque, Cebu City on Nov. 3, 2019. The four-hour fire razed 80 houses and left over 500 persons homeless. |CDND Photo/ Gerard Vincent Francisco

Manatad said they had a hard time controlling the fire due to the strong wind experienced while their  firefighters were dousing the flame.

The damaged wrought by the fire was initially placed at  P800,000.

No one was reported severely injured during the incident.

Meanwhile, at around 5:47 p.m., the Mandaue City Fire Department immediately responded to another fire alarm that broke out in Sitio Sudlon, Barangay Maguikay of the  city.

Fire Officer 1 Jonrey Olmillo of the Mandaue City Fire Department said that the fire hit the third floor of the three storey building owned by a certain Nick Soco.

Olmillo said they were still determining what caused the fire.

He added that their fire department was able to confine the fire  on the third floor of the building and put the fire under control at  6:10 p.m. At 6:20 p.m., the fire department declared a fire out.

The damage to the building was estimated to be P216,000, said Olmillo.

No person was reported injured during the incident. /elb