A late-afternoon fire hit a thickly populated sitio in barangay Tejero, Cebu City, displacing hundreds of residents yesterday.
The fire alarm broke at 5:36 p.m. Residents said the fire started at the residence of a certain Melchor dela Cruz located in sitio Luoban in Villagonzalo II, barangay Tejero located near the barangay health center.
The hour-long fire burned houses made of light materials located within sitio Luoban along Alviola Street.
It later spread to shanties in the neighboring sitio Sampaguita.
One of the affected residents, 63-year-old Pilar Rufila, told Cebu Daily News that she heard a loud explosion before the fire began. Rufila lived near Dela Cruz’s home.
Rufila said she heard neighbors saying that Mechor’s wife Inday tipped the pan she used for cooking fried fish.
She said the pan slid and spilled cooking oil into the hose of a gas tank resulting in the explosion.
Since the fire quickly spread to the adjacent houses, she managed to secure her children and grandchildren.
By the time she finished, her house had burned down.
Another resident, 83-year-old former Tejero barangay councilor Jose Quita salvaged a Señor Sto. Niño image. His 63-year-old stroke-afflicted wife was taken first by his nephews and brought to the Blessed Sacrament Church for safety.
Since he first stayed there back on 1959, he is a devotee of the Child Jesus. Quita had five children and with only one left at their house.
Tejero barangay councilor Garry Lao said about 100 houses from three sitios in barangay Tejero got burned down.
The fire went on to burn shanties located farther back towards the direction of the Blessed Sacrament Church along the Tejero Creek.
Residents complained about the inefficiency of the city’s fire-fighting personnel with some of them fighting with fire fighters for possession of fire hoses.
One fire truck stationed along Alviola Street was unable to spray water on burning houses.
Fire trucks from the Fil-Chinese Fire Brigade and Emergency Rescue Foundation (ERUF) were called on to help.
The displaced residents were temporarily housed at the barangay sports center.
About 1,000 persons were reportedly affected by the fire.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said lack of access roads is a concern that he wanted to address when the fire site is cleared.
The mayor already ordered the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) and the City Risk Reduction Management Council to oversee the needs of the fire victims especially for food assistance. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac with Correspondents Chito Aragon and Gabriel C. Bonjoc