Fires Hit Cebu City; 1 Man Hurt

[Medic Mike]

Friday, October 11, 2013

FIREFIGHTERS were kept busy yesterday after two fires struck within hours in Cebu City.

No deaths were reported in the Sitio Oprra, Barangay Kalunasan and Sitio Villagonzalo 1, Barangay Tejero fires. A 24-year-old man was injured, however, in the afternoon blaze in Barangay Tejero.

The Cebu City Fire Station received the alarm about the fire in Sitio Opra, Barangay Kalunasan at 10:41 a.m. Two houses next to each other were razed.

SFO2 Daniel Relatado Jr., fire investigator, said the Kalunasan fire was placed under control after nine minutes.

Initial investigation showed that the fire started in the second floor of the house of Lorenzo Fernandez, 54. It was his son Louie, 26, who noticed the fire in the room of his sister.

“Hayag na kuno kaayo ug bahong aso (The house was alight in flames and there was smoke),” said Lorenzo.

Louie said in a separate interview that his wife woke him up to check his sister's room. When he entered the room, the bed was already on fire.

The flames, he said, spread to the house next door, owned by his brother Jeffrey.

Relatado said they are still investigating the cause of the blaze. He pegged the damage at P50,000.

Around 4 p.m., another fire broke out in Barangay Tejero. The fire gutted the two-storey house of Prima Cantillas, 70.

Firefighters said the blaze damaged P50,000 worth of property.

Injured

It also injured Michael Ian Englot, 24, who was wounded in the arm when he helped put out the fire. Englot fell from the roof.

Relatado said in another interview that fire reportedly started in the second floor of Cantillas' house.

The old woman's nephew woke up and saw the flames. They then left the house and called for help.

Firefighters had to swim in the river near the barangay hall to get closer to the fire. The blaze was controlled in 15 minutes.

In the barangay's gymnasium, eight hogs owned by Cantillas were kept safe. They were spared from being roasted, Cantillas said.

Juanito Estoryal, 32, who rented a room in Cantillas' house, said he lost all his belongings. He came from working in a barbershop and was on his way home when the fire broke out.

City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella went to the fire scene and promised assistance to the affected families.

Labella called the city government's Department of Social Welfare and Services to provide the basic needs of the fire victims.

 

[Jollygoodfellow]

Shame to lose so much. I see in the story that sleeping is a favorite past time. 10.41 am and 4pm

 

In the barangay's gymnasium, eight hogs owned by Cantillas were kept safe.

 

Now I wonder if the hogs are always kept there or put there when the fire started.  :89: