Fire razes 12 houses, 30 families displaced

At least 30 families were displaced when a fire believed to have been caused by an unattended lighted candle broke out in sitio Centro, barangay Looc, Mandaue City yesterday.

The blaze destroyed at least 12 houses made of light materials. The fire started at 12:05 a.m. at the house of 43-year-old Brenda Alquezar.

According to investigators, Alquezar had been using candles and kerosene lamps after electricity service was cut for her alleged failure to pay her bills.

SFO3 Roy Garcia, arson investigator, said Alquezar was away when the fire broke out. Her daughter, who was mentally challenged, was the only one left in the house.

She escaped unhurt.

The fire was extinguished in 20 minutes. Fire damage was pegged at P120,000.

Fire victims were evacuated to a nearby sports complex.

Roger Paller, public information officer in Mandaue City, said that based on the report from the City Social Welfare Office, 30 families were affected, 20 of them were houseowners while the rest were either house sharers or renters.

Paller said the city government will process the release of P10,000 cash assistance to each of the house owners and P5,000 each for the renters or sharers.

Paller said social workers have started distributing food supplies to the victims yesterday morning and will last for three days.

The barangay is expected to declare the sitio under a state of calamity.

Another fire broke out around 4 p.m. yesterday damaging a house in barangay Labogon, Mandaue City.

Arson investigators said an electric wire sparked in the house of Felipe Rosal in sitio Latasan and caught fire.

The fire was prevented from spreading after Rosal was able to immediately switch off the house’s main power source.