New Year’s Day fires: Firecrackers damage classroom, house in Pasil, Guadalupe

New Year’s Day fires. A classroom from Pasil Elementary School got partially burned after a firecracker landed inside the classroom. | GMA Super Radyo via Futch Anthony Inso

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Cebu City has responded to two firecracker-related fire incidents in separate areas during the early morning of New Year’s Day.

They first responded to a fire incident at Pasil Elementary School in Barangay Pasil at 12:35 a.m. of January 1, 2024.

However, when they arrived at the fire scene, the fire was already under control.

The incident partially burned a classroom with an estimated damage of P3,000.

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A firecracker, kwitis, caused a fire at the ceiling of a house in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City. | GMA Super Radyo DYSS via Futch Anthony Inso

According to SFO2 Wendel Villanueva, spokesperson of BFP-Cebu City, they believed that a firecracker caused the fire since there was no electric supply in that classroom.

At around 1:06 a.m. on January 1, 2024, they responded to another fire incident at 27 Red Horse St., Horseshoe Hills Limkaking Subdivision, Barangay Guadalupe in Cebu City.

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This was after a house owned by Ed Sherwin Llanes got partially burned, when a firecracker, kwitis, landed on their roof.

Due to this, the ceiling of the house got burned, which incurred P6,000 of estimated damage.

The fire was raised to first alarm and was declared fireout at around 1:19 a.m.

Villanueva appealed to the public to be responsible in using firecrackers to prevent accidents.

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