Catmon fire ruins stores, 4 vehicles

SRP GRASS FIRE Fire volunteers train their hoses on burning grass which caught fire towards noon last Wednesday at the South Road Properties near the San Pedro Calungsod templete. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Around P1.8-million worth of property  including four vehicles and a commercial building were razed in a fire that broke out on Saturday dawn in Catmon town,  northern Cebu.

FO1 Ronald Tellidua, Carmen town fire investigator,  said authorities suspected electrical misuse was the cause of the fire which broke out  2:20 a.m. at the general merchandise store of Ruth Marie Fruta in sitio Katambisan, barangay Corazon.

No one was inside when the fire happened.

Fruta’s store was one of five in the semi-concrete commercial building.

The fire spread to the entire building destroying four other stores owned by Rene Colinares, Victor Nuñeza, Mona Climaco  and Rosalinda Duray.

Four vehicles — a Toyota Avanza, a multicab van, a tricycle and a motorcycle — parked behind the building were also destroyed.

Strong winds fanned and spread the flames to  houses across the road.

At least four houses were destroyed. These were owned by Peter Molejon, Rogelio Pontillas, Nicolas Fruta and Rosario Rule.

Four other houses were damaged. They were owned by Florante Rule, Jose Villanueva, Apolinaria Orio and Renagen Matos.

Property damage was  pegged at P1,845,000.

The fire was put under control  at 3:10 a.m. Fire out was officially declared  at 5 a.m.

Catmon has no fire station but has a  fire truck  under the town’s Civil Defense office.

That fire truck and one from Sogod town were already in the area when firemen from Carmen arrived.

Tellidua said it took them a while to arrive because Carmen is about 18 kilometers from the area.

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