Lapu, San Fernando fires displace families

Kids playing with matches caused two fires that hit Lapu-Lapu City and San Fernando town in Cebu in the past two days.

About 20 families were rendered homeless after a fire razed 10 houses and partially damaged four others in sitio Sangi, barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City, yesterday morning.

Fire investigator SFO2 Diomet Alburo said the fire broke out after two girls played with matches inside the house of a couple named Reynante and Eldera Maranga.

Maranga’s 4-year-old daughter reportedly played with her friend inside a living room at the time.

The daughter claimed that the matches were brought by her friend who used them.

“Pagsiga sa kayo, daga dayon mi kang lola (When the fire broke out, we ran straight to grandmother),” she said.

The Lapu-Lapu City Fire Station received the alarm at 10 a.m. and put it out 15 minutes after.

Eldera said her daughter couldn’t have caused the fire since she burned her left hand after playing with matches at the back of their house last Dec. 25.

“I made sure that we placed the matches out of my daughter’s reach,” she said.

But Alburo said they will interview the two girls.

If found guilty, the parents will shoulder the liabilities, he said. Firefighters placed the damages at P600,000.

One of the victims, Liza Martinez, shed tears after recounting how she lost all her possessions save for the clothes she wore at the time. The house of former Lapu-Lapu City vice mayor Norma Patalinjug was also partially damaged.

Another fire broke out in barangay Pitalo, San Fernando town in Cebu that razed two houses owned by Anselmo Sas and his neighbor Jun Juesan at past 3 p.m. last Tuesday.

Police said Sas’ 4-year-old son Kerwin was playing with matches in the second floor.

Sas told police that Kerwin, his wife and his two other kids left the house when they noticed smoke from the second floor.

The police said that a portion of Juesan’s house was partially damaged. No one was reported hurt or injured after the incident. Damages were placed at P180,000. Correspondents Fe Marie Dumaboc and Rhea Ruth V. Rosell