City logs 4th fire in span of week

CEBU, Philippines - Fire incidents continue to hit Cebu City and Cebu Province amid the observance of Fire Prevention Month.

A man was injured and five houses were razed after a fire broke out in Upper San Roque, Barangay Bulacao in Cebu City Friday night.

This was the fourth major fire alarm recorded in the city for this week alone.

Investigation revealed that 49-year-old Francisco Lacno sustained a first-degree burn on his back.  Estimated cost of the damaged properties was pegged at P70,000.

SPO1 Lowell Opolentisima said the fire started at the apartment owned by Ernesto dela Torre. Faulty electrical connection reportedly led to the fire incident that was declared under control after 25 minutes.

All of the Cebu City fire trucks were immediately dispatched to respond to the fire incident that reached second alarm.

On the same day, one of the rooms in North General Hospital in Barangay San Jose, Cebu City also caught fire at 5:45 a.m.

The responding firemen of Talamban Fire Station immediately put the fire under control.  No other establishments were damaged nor were there injuries reported.

Earlier, Wellmade Motors Development Corp. in Barangay San Roque, Cebu City was partially burned by another fire last Tuesday afternoon. While no casualties were reported, the fire logged P50,000 in damages.

Last Wednesday afternoon, the basement of Crown Regency Hotel along Osmeña Boulevard also caught fire, causing panic among the hotel’s guests and employees.

The fire was believed to have started from a foam mattress that was placed next to the generator set. There were also signs of oil spilled in the basement which may have ignited the fire. The damage was estimated at P10,000.

Meanwhile, a fire left more than P500,000 worth of damages after it destroyed two separate houses in Dumanjug town and in Naga City.

In the first incident, a candle that was left by a 70-year-old elderly woman razed her house in Barangay Kang-akton, Dumanjug 6:30 a.m. yesterday.

Andring Asintista was praying inside her house as early as 3 a.m. when she forgot to douse off her candle in the altar.

PO1 Mauro Dagle, neighbor of Asintista, said that the old woman went out of the house to look after her livestock when she saw smoke billowing from the house.

Residents tried to help Asintista put out the fire but they failed as the two-storey house was made of light materials. Firemen estimated the damage to be at P250,000.

In another incident, a fire in Barangay Pangdan, Naga City also destroyed a house made of light materials past 8 p.m. Friday.  Firemen are still investigating on the cause of fire that hit the house of Churchil Estilla.

A report from Naga City Police Station revealed the fire was under control about five to 10 minutes since it broke out. Nearby fire stations also responded to the alarm. Damage was estimated to be at P300,000.  —/JMD (FREEMAN)