CEBU – In what could be described as the biggest fire of the year, over 120 houses and four classrooms of Alaska Elementary School went up in smoke when a fire broke out yesterday afternoon in sitio Nava, barangay Alaska Mambaling, Cebu City.
Fire Investigator FO3 Nilo Daculan said 120 houses, which included 50 shanties owned by the Badjaos, were totally burned while four were partially burned.
The fire spread out to the nearby school building, eating up four classrooms that are being used by the Grades I and II pupils.
As of press time, Councilor Gerardo Carillo, action officer of the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council, said they are still in the process of determining how many families and individuals were really affected.
The city fire department is also conducting more investigation to determine the extent of the damage that the fire caused.
Carillo said between seven to 10 persons, most of them children, were injured in their feet when they crossed the bridge and exited through the seawall to escape towards the South Road Properties while barefooted.
The area where the fire broke out is located just a stone’s throw away from the much-talked about property.
SFO4 Danilo Almendra, ground commander of the Bureau of Fire Protection located at the Pahina Central fire station said that they received the fire alarm at 4:01 p.m. that was immediately raised to Task Force Alpha (next to third alarm) prompting over 10 fire trucks to respond.
Despite the number of fire trucks that responded, Cebu City Fire marshal Ismael Codilla said it took them 45 minutes to control the fire because of lot of road intersections and the residents who try to salvage their belongings.
Witnesses Lino Baclayon, Beth Abraham, and Melcia Padernal alleged they saw the fire originated from the house of a certain “Mobin” while they were there in the front of his house when the fire broke out.
Almendra said they will look at the angle that the fire was due to electricity overuse.
He said they received reports also that before the fire, a Badjao saw a spark from one of the houses in the place that was followed by loud explosion.
Codilla said they will invite Mobin to their office for investigation to shed light on what really caused the fire.
Pepito Carpintero, the school’s security guard, said there were students who were having classes at the new building of the said school when the fire broke out.
School principal Carmen Chan confirmed that around 80 pupils were at the new building having their review for National Achievement test this March.
But Chan said classes will definitely resume on Monday for them to also identify the pupils who were affected by the fire.
While reviewing, Chan said they still overheard some residents singing videoke at the back of their school that was interrupted when there was suddenly a loud explosion.
She said no student was reported injured because the affected building was separate from the one where they were having the review.
Carillo said they are conducting a final listing of the fire victims who will be temporarily relocated at Alaska Elementary School.
The CCDCC will provide food and clothing assistance to the victims of fire. Last night, they were given free supper through the assistance of Mambaling barangay captain Rudy Estella. — /WAB (THE FREEMAN)