Fire deaths now six in Cebu

AT least six persons died in fires that struck Cebu from January to March 11 this year, compared to no casualties last year, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said yesterday.

SFO4 Allan Arciaga, BFP chief investigator, said based on their records the damages caused by fires were lower at P3.3 million for the first quarter of this year, compared to P4.7 million for the same period last year.

Among the casualties were the former hospital official and her daughter who died in a fire that struck their home in Phase 1, Camella Homes in barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City, last Monday.

The remains of Bella and Jewel Veloso were already cremated and placed in urns at the Sacred Heart Chapel on D. Jakosalem Street, Cebu City.

Nenita Vibar, Bella’s sister, said the urns will be brought to one of her sisters in Davao City.

She said she’s still waiting for the arrival of one of her sisters from the States for the internment.

Lapu-Lapu City District Fire Marshal Victor Vibares said they will still wait for the results of the BFP examination on the remnants in Manila.

Arciaga said faulty electric wiring had been the common cause of the nine fires that hit Cebu City alone.

“The cats and rats would eat the wiring, and if residents don’t clean their homes, this will result in short circuits and cause fires,” he said.

In Lapu-Lapu City, another fire broke out this time in a warehouse in the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ-1) in barangay Ibo yesterday morning.

A portion of the Maitland-Smith Cebu Inc. warehouse was burned. Caroline Auguis, senior supervisor of the lamps division of Maitland-Smith, said the fire was big but it didn’t damage half of the warehouse.

“The rubber materials that were being cut were hit by the fire. . .a news warehouse was installed. The chemicals were not hit by the fire,” she said, adding that some finished furniture were burned down.

Auguis said workers kept on spraying water to the warehouse.

The Lapu-Lapu City Fire Department placed the damages at P800,000.

FO1 Arnel Chavez of the Lapu-Lapu City Fire Department said they received the fire alarm at 10:56 a.m.

Chavez said the fire was placed under control at 11:06 a.m.

“A welding flux that ignited the sledged varnish mixed with lacquer thinner caused the fire,” Chavez told Cebu Daily News.

Adelina Querubin, a finisher in the lamps division of Maitland-Smith, said used chemicals like thinner and paint are stored in the warehouse.

Querubin said the warehouse also stored junk.

“We didn’t see any fire. But when we saw the smoke coming out from the warehouse, we ran,” Querubin said.

Querubin said that their office is located around 50 meters away from the warehouse.

For their part, the Capitol will extend aid to the fire victims in barangay Suba, Cebu City.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said she ordered the Provincial Social Welfare and Development (PSWD) office to assess the number of victims.

Cash and relief goods like rice, canned goods and mats will be given to the affected families, Garcia said.

She said they are waiting  for Cebu City Hall to  declare a state of calamity in barangay Suba. Correspondents Chito Aragon, Norman V. Mendoza, Rhea Ruth V. Rosell and Carmel Loise Matus