A huge fire engulfs a residential area in Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City last June 11, 2022. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Fire Office (CCFO) recorded a total of 16 fire incidents from June 1 to 20 and at least P80 million in damages.
Senior Fire Officer 2 (SFO2) Wendell Villanueva, information officer of the Cebu City Fire Office (CCFO), said that these fires affected both residential and commercial buildings and were mostly caused by electrical short circuit.
The most recent of which was the fire that was reported at the Ludo & Luym Compound in Barangay Sawang Calero on Monday morning, June 20, 2022.
Villanueva said the fire, that was traced to have started from one of the compound’s circuit breaker, was put out even before firefighters arrived in the area.
And while most of the fires in Cebu City were caused by electrical short circuit, the June 11 fire in Barangay Punta Princesa was believed to have been ‘intentionally set.’
The Punta Princesa fire affected over 600 homes and left more than 3, 000 individuals homeless.
READ: Punta Princesa fire intentionally set? 5 sitios affected, 187 families evacuated
One of the biggest fires that hit this month was the June 14 fire that affected a commercial building in Barangay San Roque. It result to damages amounting to at least P24.5 million.
Another one was the June 11 fire that also affected five other Sitios in Barangay Punta Princesa. At least P16.5 million worth of properties were lost in that fire incident.
“Di man kaayo dagko gyud ang sunog unlike sa Punta Princesa. Pero ang uban nga mga dagko kaayo ang estimated damage, dili kaayo ni daghan ang nangasunog pero maga dagko lang nga establishemento,” Villanueva said.
(The other fire incidents were not as big as the [June 11] fire in Punta Princesa. But these resulted to huge amount of losses because these affected commercial establishments.)
In May, CCFO only recorded at least 10 fires.
Villanueva said fewer fire incidents were also reported last June 1 to 19, 2021 while strict quarantine restrictions were still being implemented here.
But data as to the total number of fires that were reported during the period remains unavailable as of this writing.
Meanwhile, Villanueva is urging Cebuanos to constantly check on their electrical connections and to avoid electrical overload.
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