DAVAO CITY -- At least 60 houses were razed to the ground in an early morning fire that hit Bunawan district here Tuesday, nine days after a bigger fire rendered 218 families homeless in a neighboring village.
Fire Officer 2 Arnold Juaneza, Bunawan Fire Station safety inspector, said the fire started at the house of one Dodong Cañete, Purok 14, Km. 19 in Barangay Tibungco.
He said initial investigation indicates an electrical overload due to illegal wire tapping at Canete's house had caused the blaze. The fire started at 3 a.m., the fire official said.
Firefighters of 911 Rescued Units, Volunteer Green Fire Station, Buhangin Fire Station, and Bunawan Fire Station, among others, responded to the area and were able to control the fire around 4:30 a.m.
"Medyo naglisod lang ug patay atong mga kabomberohan sa sunog, kay dako-dako man pud gud ni nga sunog. Dili madali-dali (It was a big blaze, which gave the firefighters a hard time to put it under control)," Juaneza said.
No one was hurt.
On September 4, 130 houses shared by 218 families were razed to the ground in neighboring Purok 13. The damaged to property cost around P1.5 million.
Juaneza said the affected families were provided temporary space at a vacant lot in the area while the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) is still verifying the number of victims.
The CSSDO is set to release financial assistance to 84 families whose houses were razed by fire in Purok 14 early Tuesday.
Maria Luz Faranal, CSSDO social welfare assistant, said the recent fire adversely affected 231 persons.
"In just a matter of eight days, duha na dayon ka sunog ang nahitabo (the city already recorded a total of two fire incidents)," Faranal said.
Faranal said they are still doing some necessary preparations before they will release the financial aid to affected families on Wednesday.
Based on their assessment, Faranal said, they recorded a total of 61 families whose houses were destroyed, 55 of them are household owners and six are absentee owners.
All those 61 families are set to receive P10,000 cash aid while 23 families whose houses have been damaged will be receive P5,000 each.
The CSSDO estimated the damage to property in Tuesday fire to at least P3.5 million. The fire lasted for only 30 minutes. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
