FIREFIGHTERS needed an hour and two minutes to keep a fire from spreading in a residential area on Sikatuna St., Barangay Day-as in Cebu City last night.
At least 20 houses were razed to the ground, while two buildings were damaged. The initial estimated damage was pegged at P500,000.
According to SFO2 Leo Magallon, the fire probably began on the ground floor of a three-storey house that belonged to Anthony Conejos. He said that investigators have yet to confirm what caused it.
“Dili ra lisod kay dali ra man masulod (Firefighters didn’t have a hard time reaching the site),” Magallon also said.
The Cebu City Fire Department received the alarm at 6:04 p.m. and declared it under control, meaning the flames could no longer spread, at 7:06 p.m.
But the department raised the fire to Task Force Alpha when the flames spread quickly to the old houses, mostly made of light materials.
Firefighters’ teams from the barangays as well as from Mandaue and Consolacion town arrived to put out the flames.
Febina Desamparado, 34, said that she heard an explosion from the house before her neighbors shouted that there was a fire. She alleged that it was electrical tapping that caused the blaze.
An initial report said that Ben Conejos, 69, had been trapped along with two grandchildren, aged 5 and 7, but they turned out to be safe.
“Nasalbar raman sila dayon (They were saved immediately),” Magallon told Sun.Star Cebu.
Acting Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella and Acting Vice Mayor Dave Tumulak rushed to the scene. Affected residents were temporarily housed in the Day-as Sports Complex.