The fire rages in two sitios in Barangay Duljo Fatima, Cebu City past 4 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2020, burning down at least 70 houses before it was put out. |CDND Photo/ Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The new year is gloomy for at least 70 households in Sitios Cepadul Uno and Dos of Barangay Duljo Fatima in Cebu City after losing their homes to a fire this afternoon, January 2, 2020.
Senior Fire Inspector Arnel Abella, the ground commander of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Cebu City, said the fire quickly spread in the two sitios because the houses were mostly made of light materials.
The fire, which started at 4:35 p.m. was raised to fourth alarm at 5:06 p.m. and was finally controlled at 5:55 p.m. Abella said the strong wind was one of the factors causing the quick spread of the fire.
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The BFP said the afternoon fire razed about 70 houses, with initial damage placed at around P150,000. No casualty or major injuries were reported.
The owners of a bakery that was among those burned down in the Duljo Fatima fire on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, decided to give away to the firefighters the bread they were able to save. |CDND Photo/ Delta Dyrecka Letigio
However, a 16-year-old girl was rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center after she hyperventilated. A missing woman was also reported by her son but the BFP said the woman may have fled from the fire scene immediately after the fire started since their family’s house was only by the road.
Abella said initial investigations revealed that the fire started in the house of a certain Judith Campaña of Sitio Cepadul Uno.
He said they were yet to determine what caused the fire.
Firefighters report that at least 70 houses were burned down in an afternoon fire in two sitios in Barangay Duljo Fatima, Cebu City. |CDND Photo/ Delta Dyrecka Letigio
Harold Alcontin, the head of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the still undetermined number of fire victims will be housed at the Duljo gymnasium./elb