Guadalupe fire destroys 29 houses

CEBU, Philippines - Almost 30 houses were razed in a 25-minute blaze which hit sitio Kasagingan, Banawa, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City yesterday morning.

Residents were doing their usual weekend routine when the fire broke out inside the house of a certain Era Pantolian at around 10:35 a.m.

According to fire investigators, electrical misuse was the cause of the fire which burned 29 houses mostly made of light materials. Damage was pegged at around P300,000.

The Guadalupe fire team rushed to the scene, which was only a few meters away from their station. Eight other fire trucks from Cebu City arrived to help in the firefighting efforts.

Firefighters demolished portions of a wall which surrounded most of sitio Kasagingan so they could further penetrate the surging inferno. 

Cebu City Fire Marshal Aderson Comar told The FREEMAN that they had difficulty locating the area at first because of misinformation.

“Mao na ang resulta sa di-sakto nga information nga gihatag… sa Banawa ang ilang gihatag na location pero naay naka-report na mas pabor dinhi sa Modesta Village so mao na ang uban (fire trucks) mituyok na lang,” he said. (Firemen got conflicting information on which was the best way to go.) The firetrucks, however, managed to arrive just in time to confine the fire in sitio Kasagingan.

Fire teams surrounded the scene but not a single fire truck came close to the source of the fire because of narrow alleys. Firetrucks were instead parked some 20 to 30 meters away from the raging fire.

“Nag-hose relay ug nag-engine relay na lang ta kay daghan man ta og fire trucks,” Comar said.

Comar commended the efforts of the Barangay Guadalupe emergency rescue team, adding that their preparations were not put to waste. Guadalupe Barangay Captain Michael Gacasan told The FREEMAN they declared sitio Kasagingan under the state of calamity yesterday afternoon.

Gacasan said the Cebu City Department of Social Welfare and Services promised to send food for the affected families. The City also sent several tents for the victims, who are temporarily housed at the Banawa Elementary School, which is a few meters away from the fire scene.

Gacasan said the lot where most of the burned houses used to stand is owned by a private person. The barangay captain also expresses concern that the owner might not allow the affected residents to reconstruct their houses. (FREEMAN)