Fire guts downtown lodge, appliance shop

Fire gutted a building which housed an Appliance Center in the 1st and 2nd floor and a lodge on the 3rd floor. (CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO)

An appliance center and a lodging house in downtown Cebu City were gutted by an early morning fire yesterday.

No one was reported hurt as all guests staying in the 28-room Sandigan lodge were able to get out.

According to witnesses, the fire started at the stock room of Metro Appliance Centrum Plaza Inc. which is located at the ground floor of the building, Fire investigator Daniel Relatado said.

The lodging house is at the second and third floors of the building.

Damage was pegged at P500,000.

The Bureau of Fire Protection said the alarm came at 4:37 a.m. and the fire was placed under control after 25 minutes.

Anita Woo, owner of the appliance center refused to give a statement to the media.

One of the occupants of the lodge, Nicario Espinosa, lost important documents during the fire.
He said he has been staying there for three days.

He is a native of Tacloban City and is in Cebu to process with the Social Security System (SSS) the death benefits of his mother.

He said he was asleep while the fire broke out.

He woke up and ran for his safety leaving his personal belongings in the room.

He added the wall of the rooms were made of light materials causing the fire to spread quickly.

Relatado said they have to invite some witnesses to determine the cause of the fire.

Eusaquio Remirez, a barbeque vendor, said he noticed a thick smoke coming out of the second floor of the building.

Edwin Lareta, cashier of the lodge, said that there were only a few guests in the lodge Sunday night.

The right lane of the portion of Osmeña Boulevard was closed to traffic for a few hours because of the fire.