Rose Taytayan was taking a bath yesterday morning when she saw smoke outside her window coming from a neighbor’s house in barangay Hipodromo, Cebu City.
She ran out and shouted for help with only a cotton wrap or malong on.
The 42-year-old woman carried a plastic bag filled with her purse and documents while she watched firefighters extinguish the flames that razed three houses in sitio Cahipa.
“Good thing our house was spared because I was unable to get our things because we were scared. The fire was already big when I went out,” Taytayan said in Cebuano.
Three houses in the urban poor neighborhood were destroyed in the fire that broke out 10:41 a.m., said Cebu City Fire Department Fire Marshal Aderson Comar.
The flames were put under control within four minutes.
Comar said the fire started at the room rented by siblings Kevin and Che-Che Burgos in Segunda Trinidad’s house.
Kevin, a student, and Che-che, a nurse, were not around when the incident happened
The houses of Emiliano Trinidad, Leonardo Trinidad and Segunda Trinidad were razed.
Damaged were the houses of Carlito Luage Sr. and Carlito Luage Jr. as well as the house of Aida Luage-Baylosis.
No one was injured.
Property damage was estimated at P120,000./Correspondents Jessa Chrisna Marie J. Agua and Chito O. Aragon and UP Intern Peter Romanillos