Fire destroys 19 houses in Pahina

Wala mi nasalbar.” (We have saved nothing.)

This was the common statement of fire survivors in yesterday’s early morning fire in Balagtas St., barangay Pahina Central, Cebu City.

The fire destroyed 19 houses and gutted six more, said Cebu City Fire Marshal Aderson Comar.

Six persons were also reported injured.

Comar said the six persons sustained minor injuries and they were treated by personnel of the Basak-Pardo Emergency Rescue Team.

Comar said the fire alarm was received at 6:39 a.m. and the firefighters placed the fire under control in 3 minutes.

Comar said the fire started at the house owned by Marcelino Claro, which were occupied by Teresita Mata and Leonardo Ozon.

Fire investigators were still trying to find out what caused the fire.

They pegged the damage to property at P400,000.

The narrow entrance delayed the  firefighters from reaching the fire scene. “Footpath ra ang agi-anan (Only the footpath is accessible),” Comar said.

Fire victim, Bridget Diaz, 18, a sophomore student of the University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR), said she was about to take a bath inside their rented room when the fire broke out.

Diaz, who is from Dumanjug, said she managed to wake up her sister and they fled to safety.

She said the only thing she saved was her laptop and a few clothes.

She lost her uniform and books to the fire.

“Finals pa jud namo. Unsaon na lang” (It’s our final exams next week. I don’t know what to do.) Diaz told Cebu Daily News.

Diaz said that she would still attend her classes today and just wear civilian clothes because her school uniforms were also burned.

She said she and her sister would just temporarily stay with her aunt in Consolacion town.

Another fire victim, electrician Ely Tocado, 44, of Samboan town, said he was awakened by the a housemate when the fire broke out.

Tocado said he rented the room for P500 a month so that he could send extra cash to his wife and five children in Samboan.

He said the only thing he saved was his bicycle, which was parked outside the house.

He said he didn’t know where to stay in after the house where he rented a room was razed by yesterday’s fire.

Another fire victim, Dante Debuayon, 29, said he made sure that his wife and five children got out safely.

His knee was cut by some kind of metal as he guided his family to safety.

Barangay captain Sisinio Andales said the  fire survivors would stay at the Pahina Sports Complex.

He said most of the fire victims were boarders, lodgers and renters.

As of presstime, Andales said 25 families lost their homes.

“The Cebu City government will provide 40 folding beds and the DSWS (Department of Social Welfare and Services) will provide food which is good for 3 days.” Andales told Cebu Daily News in Cebuano.  /Rhea Ruth V. Rosell, Correspondent