These are among the samples taken from the fire scene in Sitio Mohon, Banilad, Mandaue City, which will be sent to Manila for analysis to find out if it was really an unplugged computer tht caused the fire on October 13. | Mary Rose Sagarino #CDNDigital
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — The fire that razed 30 houses and displaced at least 100 individuals in Sitio Mohon 2, Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City on Wednesday, October 13, may have been caused by an unplugged electrical appliance or gadget.
Senior Fire Officer 3 (SFO3) Edgar Vergara of the Mandaue City Fire Station, said that there was a possibility that this could have been the cause of the fire especially since the owner of the house, where the fire allegedly started, claimed that the only thing that was plugged at that time of the fire was his computer inside the room.
Vergara, however, said that they would only conclude if it was an electrical issues (unplugged computer or electrical appliance) that started the fire when the result sof the samples of electrical wire, ash and other debris recovered at the fire scene would be sent to Manila for analysis.
“Posible (ang computer), mao nang amo ning (samples) ipada sa Manila for electrical examination analysis, mo detect ni siya og positive ba sa electrical short circuit,” said Vergara.
(It’s possible (the computer), that is what these (samples) that we are sending to Manila for examination analysis. These will detect if it was positive that an electrical short circuit happened.)
Vergara also said that the damage to property was estimated at P300,000.
Wednesday’s fire burned 30 houses and affected 100 inviduals including renters, said Banilad Barangay Captain Greg Yap.
Yap said the fire victims found temporary shelter in their relatives’s homes or some stayed inside tents set up near the fire scene.
Yap said that they offered and readied the Banilad gymnasium as an evacuation area but victims found it very far.
The village chief said the affected individuals were already given meals by the city’s Social Welfare and Services.
He also said that they would be having a special session to talk about the matter and could possibly release funds to be given to the fire victims.
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