3 fires hit Metro Cebu

A fire hit a two-story building in Cebu City yesterday afternoon, bringing to three the number of fires that broke out in Metro Cebu within a 24-hour period, authorities said.

In Mandaue City, a state of calamity was declared in sitio Kalubihan 2, barangay Umapad, after last Monday evening’s fire damaged 110 houses.

Another fire broke out around 6:30 a.m. in barangay Canduman, Mandaue City partly damaging the house of Prudence Andrew Sabata.

An estimated P3.5 million worth of properties of Modern Metal Marketing owned by Joshua Lim was destroyed yesterday afternoon at the corner Urdaneta Street and M.J. Avenue, barangay San Roque, Cebu City.

The incident caused heavy traffic in nearby streets since traffic enforcers had to clear roads to allow firetrucks to enter.

Chief Inspector William Tacaldo, chief of the Cebu City Fire Department said the heavy downpour yesterday afternoon helped put out the blaze.

Fire relief

In Mandaue City, the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development listed 139 house owners and 75 renters that were displaced by the fire as of 6 p.m. yesterday.

The figure will still change as the survey progresses, said Mandaue City Hall information officer Roger Paller.

The victims are temporarily staying at the Pajara Park under the Marcelo Fernan Bridge, in Umapad Elementary School and in a vacant lot near the site.

Paller said the Umapad barangay council held an emergency session yesterday morning to place sitio Kalubihan 2 under state of calamity so that calamity funds could be released.

Food and relief goods including clothes, blankets and mats were distributed to them.

No one was hurt in the fire. Damage was estimated at P1.1 million.

SF03 Roy Garcia, investigator of the Mandaue City Fire Department, said last Monday’s fire broke out at 8:50 p.m. and was put under control at 10 p.m. The fire started at the second floor of the house owned by Antonieto Calida.

Garcia said based on witness accounts, an unattended candle in Calida’s house during a power interruption caused the fire./Reports from Correspondents Jhunnex Napallacan, Carine N. Asutilla, Chito O. Aragon and Inquirer