CEBU CITY -- The loss of a two-storey house during a fire in Barangay Poblacion Pardo, Cebu City felt like the death of a loved one, the fire victims said.
“Mura gyud mi ug namatyan (It’s as if we have lost a loved one),” 31-year-old Junior Lapitan said.
His family failed to save their belongings when the fire razed their house yesterday morning.
Two other nearby houses were also damaged by the flames.
In the spirit of “Bayanihan,” residents in the area helped in the firefighting.
The house, which was made of light materials, however, was quickly devoured by the flames.
No one was reported hurt or killed, except for a man who fainted after he fell from a house while helping put out the fire.
Wake
Nearby, the wake of a five-month-old baby had to be secured for fear that the flames could reach them.
The baby’s coffin was brought to a safer place, where family members kept a close
watch.
Poblacion Pardo Barangay Captain Fermin Dasmariñas said they will ask assistance from the Cebu City Government for the fire victims.
In an interview, he said, he feared many residents may have been affected because the area was densely-populated.
SFO2 Jimmy Layao of the Cebu City Fire Department pegged the damaged properties at P50,000.
He said they received the alarm at 8:44 a.m., but was declared under control after three minutes.
Several volunteer fire brigades aided in the firefighting, which was raised to a second alarm.
Layao identified the narrow roads as the major stumbling block in the firefighting.
As to what caused the blaze, Layao said it is still under investigation.
Some residents told Sun.Star Cebu that the family may have left a lighted mosquito repellant unattended.
Junior, however, dismissed this speculation and claimed that the fire was caused by an electric wire that exploded atop their rooftop.
“Dili lang ‘ta mi i-blame kay aksidente mani (We should not be blamed because it was an accident),” Junior said.
