Friday the 13th fire razes 30 houses, displaces 56 individuals in Cebu City

Firefighters battle the Friday the 13th fire at Sitio Fatima, Barangay Pahina Central at past 2 p.m. The fire razed 30 houses. | screenshot of Cebu City Fire Department video

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A fire razed at least 30 houses and displaced 56 individuals this Friday the 13th in Sitio Fatima, Barangay Pahina Central in Cebu City.

The Cebu City fire Department recorded at least 24 families made up of 56 individuals, who were temporarily taking shelter in the barangay’s gymnasium.

According to Fire Officer 2 Emerson Arceo, investigator of the case, the fire started at the house of a certain Rose Gonzales.

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He said they had yet to determine the exact cause of fire, but they were not discounting the possibility that it was faulty electrical wiring because it was the most common cause of fire in a residential area.

In their initial investigation, Arceo said that only an elderly widow was left in the house where the fire started and the neighbors were the ones who noticed the already growing flames.

“Wala na guro natabang dayon kay tiguwang na tawon bisag unsaon ug syagit sa tiguwang pila ray kusog, walay makadungog. Mao tung ang nakatabang kay ang silingan ra gyud nga tupad og balay,” said Arceo.

(Because of her old age, she could have failed to put out the fire despite her call for help. That is why the one who helped her was the neighbor, who lives beside her house.)

The fire that was reported at 2:03 p.m. was put under control at 2:32 p.m. and was declared fire out at 2:55 p.m. Fire investigators pegged the with an estimated damage to property at P350,000.

Two women were reportedly injured in the incident — one was said to have experienced difficulty in breathing while the other sustained first degree burns on her shoulders./dbs