Saturday, March 03, 2007 Firefighter’s house By Mia E. Abellana Sun.Star Staff Reporter
SFO3 Allan Arciaga has seen two big fires sweep his neighborhood, but his house in the interior of Sitio Potat, Barangay Tinago has always been spared.
As chief investigator of the Cebu City Fire Station, Arciaga has seen the worst fires since 1980.
When a neighbor shouted for help at midnight last Thursday, he did not think twice about running outside to help extinguish the flames.
“I woke everyone in the house and told them to pack up and leave before the fire got bigger,” Arciaga told Sun.Star Cebu.
“Being a fireman, I always taught them what to do in case a fire broke out,” he added.
Arciaga said he used buckets and enjoined his neighbors to put out the flames until the fire trucks arrived.
licking the roofBut when he returned to his house, he saw that flames were already licking the roof.
He could only shake his head as he surveyed the damage to his house. Nothing was left except for the clothes on their backs.
The whole second floor was gutted. Only the concrete walls remain.
He admitted that he was not able to check on his family until 4 a.m. because he concentrated on putting out the flames.
“Addict naman gud ko og kayo. Bisag imbestigador nako mutabang gihapon ko ana (Even if I’m an investigator, I want to help fight fires myself),” he said.
Because he was familiar with the little alleys in Sitio Potat, he was able to direct his colleagues on where to pass and not get trapped.
There were also several entryways to the fire scene, which is why he felt he had to help them.
He is glad that none of his family members, including a disabled daughter, were hurt. Arciaga has three daughters and one son.
Arciaga, 49, has lived in Sitio Potat his whole life.
Although he was aware his house was vulnerable whenever a fire hit the area, he said he had no choice but to stay there because times were hard.
Two big fires hit the area in 1988 and 2003 but his house was always spared.
He narrated that he got into fire fighting because he needed a job and the fire department was recruiting.
It was not what he dreamed of becoming but he grew to love it.
“Lisod gyud pagbarug human ani. Ako rang gipakalma akong kaugalingon para dili madiscourage akong mga anak, pero deep down sakit gyud kaayo (It’s going to be tough to get back on our feet again. I’m trying to keep a brave front for my kids, but deep down, this hurts terribly),” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
Cebu City Fire Marshal Supt. Esmael Codilla also saw how the fire affected his family.
Codilla has lived in the area since 1991, not far from Arciaga’s house.
Close call
He considers himself lucky as firefighters were able to contain the flames before these reached his house.
It was a close call, though, and the last house to get eaten by the fire was just five structures away from his home.
“Pirmi lang ko makasugat anang mga bata nga magdala og butang kada sunog. Wa gyud ko magdahum nga makakita pud ko sa akong mga anak nga mag-ingon ana (I keep seeing children trying to save their belongings during a fire. I never thought I’d see my own children go through the same ordeal),” Codilla narrated.
He added that he was lucky his house was beside the road, which was an advantage.
Because the Bureau of Fire Protection has no funds for firemen who become victims of fire incidents, Codilla said they will be passing the hat for Arciaga.
He will still be chief investigator, but Codilla said he will be given time to tend to his family.
“He has a lot on his mind right now. They have no house and they were not able to save anything,” Codilla said. (MEA)
