Firefighters look for the bodies of those burned by the fire that hit Sitio Sta. Lucia in Barangay Tinago, Cebu City this morning. | Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Four individuals were killed and nine others got hurt in a fire that lasted for nearly four hours here on Tuesday, February 27.
The early morning fire hit a densely populated residential area in Sitio Sta. Lucia, Brgy. Tinago, with over P7 million in properties turned to ashes.
Authorities identified the fatalities as couple Rosita and Parolito Otadoy, and their two teenage sons – Joseph and Jeffrey.
READ: Talisay fire: 15 families displaced, over P600k properties destroyed
It took firefighters around four hours to douse the flames that gutted down 13 houses, and damaged three more.
At 2 a.m., the firefighters in the area raised it further to the second alarm or more firetrucks and firefighters were needed to put out the fire.
At 2:23 a.m., it was raised to the third alarm and at 2:43 a.m. it was raised further to the fourth alarm.
READ: Cebu City fires: Over 300 incidents, P4-billion worth of damages in 2023
It was then that the firefighters from Mandaue, Talisay, Minglanilla, Consolacion and Lapu-Lapu responded and helped put out the fire.
The fire was then placed under control at 4:48 a.m. and was declared fire out at 5:09 a.m.
A total of 59 firetrucks responded to the fire that displaced more than 30 families or 90 individuals.
READ: 3 dead in Rizal town fire
Meanwhile, investigations continue to determine the cause of the fire as well as the deaths of the four victims.