THREE houses were destroyed while two others were damaged after a fire hit Sitio Caimito in Barangay Sambag 1, Cebu City at 5:16 p.m. Saturday, September 25, 2021.

The fire started in the house of Allan Inso, a mechanic.

Senior Fire Officer 1 Riza Julve, investigator of the Bureau of Fire Protection Cebu City, placed the damage at P4.2 million.

Joshua Inso, son of Allan, said an unattended candle at an altar on the second floor of the house where Allan’s aunt, Gloria Mancao, 70, stayed and regularly prayed in the afternoons, may have caused the fire.

She was not home at the time of the fire.

Joshua said they at first tried to put the fire out themselves using a fire extinguisher brought by a neighbor, but were unsuccessful. (GPL/CTL)