AN 85-year-old woman and her 14-year-old granddaughter died after they were trapped inside their burning house in Barangay Canjulao, Lapu-Lapu City yesterday afternoon.
The Lapu-Lapu City Fire District (LCFD) recorded yesterday two fire incidents in the city, following the incident in Barangay Basak that destroyed 45 houses and damaged three others last Monday.
SFO1 Hadji Samonte said at least P550,000 worth of properties were lost after a fire broke out in Purok Kapayas, Sitio Kinalumsan at 2:18 p.m.
Firefighters had the blaze under control 20 minutes after it was reported to them.
In their initial investigation, the fire started in the house of Edna Ycong, 48.
Edna said she heard someone shout “fire” so she tried to go upstairs to save her daughter Jane and her mother Aurea Jumao-as.
“But the flames blocked my way to the stairs,” she said in Cebuano.
Further investigation
She said Jumao-as could barely walk because of her age while Jane was a special needs child.
Edna tried to ask for help, but neighbors were already fleeing the scene.
LCFD personnel were able to douse the flames at at 5:15 p.m.
At least 16 houses made of light materials were destroyed in Canjulao.
Samonte said they initially thought that faulty electrical wiring caused the fire, but they will investigate further.
Edna believed that a neighbor who lived behind their house may have something to do with the incident since that person tried to set fire to their area before.
Edna said her house was damaged in that incident.
LCFD categorized the fire as a second alarm.
Samonte said the fire started in the interior part of the sitio. They could barely enter the residential area because of its narrow roads, he added.
Canjulao Barangay Captain Nestor Paypa said that some 80 individuals were temporarily evacuated to the Canjulao Elementary School.
“Everyone should be very careful, especially the kids. They should not play with matches or lighters),” Paypa said in Cebuano.
Paypa said food and clothes are the things fire survivors need.
Before the incident in Canjulao, firefighters responded to a fire alarm in Sangi New Road, Barangay Pajo at 8:51 a.m.
A house owned by Glen Abad was damaged after his liquified petroleum gas tank reportedly had a leak.
The damage was pegged at P100,000.
No one was reportedly hurt during the fire except for a family member who suffered burns after the food she was cooking fell on her.