AT LEAST 90 families lost their homes after a late morning fire hit two sitios in Barangay Tanke, Talisay City on Friday, September 11, 2020.
Fire investigators said the fire at Sitios Kilawan and Kasambagan destroyed around P1 million worth of properties, mostly houses made of light materials. No one was hurt or killed during the incident.
Senior Insp. Arnel Abella, Talisay City Fire Marshal, told Superbalita Cebu that they initially received the alarm at arorund 10:25 a.m.
After responding at the area, fire officials led by Abella raised the fire to third alarm due to difficulty of penetrating the area as some of the houses there were built close to each other.
The presence of e-bikes parked along accessible pathways also prevent firefighting equipment from entering within the fire area.
Aside from lack of accessible pathways, the fire quickly spread because most of the houses there were made of light materials, Abella added.
The fire, which was put out at 12:34 p.m., destroyed about 75 houses.
Abella said the fire reportedly began at the house of Ronal Bacacao.
Even though they received reports that a welding machine may have caused the fire, Abella said an investigation is to be done.
Teodisia Mabanag, a 61-year-old fish vendor living in the area, cried as she saw her house burning.
Mabanag said the clothes she had on were the only thing that she was able to save during the fire.
In a statement on his Facebook page, Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. said he has ordered the City Social Welfare Office to provide meals to the fire victims for at least three days.
The fire victims are sheltered at the Tanke National High School
Gullas has also ordered the CSWO to survey the fire victims as a way to facilitate the provision of cash assistance for them.
He also appealed for donations for the fire victims. (BBT, JKV)