Labangon fire razes 4 houses

Another fire incident broke in the metropolis yesterday morning, the second time for this week and the first for the month of December.

The latest blaze razed four houses and left another one partially damaged in Tres de Abril, barangay Labangon, Cebu City leaving an estimated P250,000 damage to property, according to fire investigator Felix Romero.

The fire, believed to be caused by electrical misuse, reportedly started at the second floor of a house owned by one Eliseo dela Cerna, but was occupied by a certain Charina Basalo.

Romero said the occupants did not even know the house was ablaze, until screaming neighbors called the attention of a certain Debie, a niece of Basalo, at around 9:15 yesterday morning.

The fire was immediately placed on second alarm. Romero claimed they managed to control the fire within three minutes only, and that the fire was totally put out at about 11 a.m.

Last Wednesday dawn, a fiberglass furniture factory in Sunrise Village, Poblacion Pardo was also reduced to ashes leaving an estimated loss to property of P5 million.

At least three angles were considered to be behind that incident - electrical misuse, flammable chemicals that were left unattended, and disgruntled employees who wanted to get back at management.

That incident closed the month of November with nine fires, all in all, prompting Vice Mayor Michael Rama to suggest that fire marshal Esmael Codilla light a candle at the Basilica del Santo Niño and eventually hear Holy Mass suspecting that such fires could have been the handiwork of bad spirits. - Ryan P. Borinaga