SEPARATE incidents of fire happened in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue and in Liloan town in northern Cebu between 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, and 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, three months before Fire Prevention Month, which is observed every March, a time when, according to the state weather bureau, temperature and humidity reach their peak, increasing the likelihood of accidental fires.
The first blaze razed dozens of houses in Sitio All Season 3, Barangay Cogon Pardo, Cebu City, past 6 p.m. Tuesday. It destroyed 51 houses, partially damaged 23 others and left 87 families or 323 individuals homeless.
By early Wednesday morning, another fire broke out in a building storage area in Barangay Guizo, Mandaue City. Firefighters placed the situation under control by 7:50 a.m. and declared it out at 8:22 a.m.
During the Mandaue incident, a woman on the third floor suffered injuries while escaping. Witnesses said she rescued her dogs before climbing down a ladder to safety.
Flames also hit an industrial furniture area in Barangay Yati, Liloan, late Wednesday evening, reaching the second alarm at 10:55 p.m. A smaller fire occurred earlier that afternoon behind the Department of Social Welfare and Development office in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City. / JCDV