Cordova fire razes 15 houses, displaces 50 families

Black smoke rises in the Cordova area as seen in the from the South Road Properties side in Cebu City during the fire this morning, November 27, 2020. | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A midmorning fire today, November 27, 2020, has razed 15 houses and displaced at least 50 families in Sitio Calan, Barangay Poblacion, Cordova town in Mactan Island.

Fire Officer 2 Jan Cyril Delfin estimated the damage to property at P350,000.

No one was reported injured in the fire, which was reported at 9:50 a.m. and was put out at 10:50 a.m.

The displaced families were temporarily staying at the town’s gymnasium.

Delfin said the fire was reported to have started allegedly in the house of Bernardo Degamo Jr., but the exact cause of fire had yet to be determined.

“It is still under investigation. We have yet to identify what caused the fire,” said Delfin.

With this, Degamo reminded the public to be always mindful of their electrical wirings and to practice fire safety measures like unplugging appliances and other electrical devices when you leave your house.

He also said that it would also be prudent to get rid of flammable materials in the house.

“Labi na sa household, para malikayan ang sunog. Atoa gina encourage ang mga tawo nga bantayan ang mga saksakan. Ang mga gadgets ibton dili iovercharge and kung ari sa kusina always icheck ang gasul,” said Delfin.

(Especially in households so that we can avoid any fire from happening. We encourage the public to always check on their electrical outlets. Always unplug the plugged devices and avoid overcharging them. When in the kitchen, check the LGP tank.)  /dbs