Fire razes Ouano-owned building in Mandaue

A building owned by the Ouano family in barangay Opao, Mandaue City was razed by fire yesterday morning.

Electrical misuse may have caused the fire that destroyed P600,000 worth of property, said SFO2 Cipriano Codilla, arson investigator of Mandaue City Fire Department.

The  300 square-meter structure used to house the offices of Cebu Provincial Board Member Thadeo Ouano and  his  daughter Mandaue City Councilor Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon.

Thick smoke billows from the building that was razed by fire in barangay Opao, Mandaue City yesterday morning. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

The building was about 20 meters away from the residences of the Ouanos.

Also in the building was the commissary office of Federico’s Pizza.

“Based on the account of  employees who were in the office, they saw smoke coming from the ceiling and the flames immediately spread. They tried to put the fire out but failed,” Codilla said.

Codilla said they received the alarm at 7:20 a.m.

Because of the heavy traffic on  Plaridel Street, it took at least 10 minutes before fire trucks arrived in the fire scene.

More than 20 fire trucks from neighboring towns and cities responded.

The fire was controlled at 8 a.m.

Oscar Dela Cruz, a fire volunteer of Sto. Niño Fire Brigade, sustained a two-inch cut in the right  wrist after he tried to destroy a bamboo fence to  enter the back portion of the fire scene.

Ouano-Dizon  said their family owned the lot and building.

She said the pizza commissary office has been renting in the building for three years already.

Among the items damaged by fire were 150 packs of goods and monobloc chairs that were supposed to be donated to families who were affected by last Sunday’s fire in barangay Paknaan.