Fire destroys 12 houses

Fire razed 12 houses and damaged two others in sitio Sta. Cruz in barangay Duljo-Fatima, Cebu City yesterday morning.

Arson Investigator Jose Laurito estimated the damage to property at P130,000.

Laurito said the fire could have been caused by electrical malfunction.

Investigation showed that the fire started in Teresita Alsola’s two-story house.

Alsola told investigators that she was preparing breakfast in the kitchen when she heard an explosion on the second floor before smoke and the fire quickly engulfed the house.

She said no one was on the second floor at the time.

She, however, admitted that her son had left the television and DVD player plugged in the outlet when her son went downstairs.

Explosion

The investigator said this could have caused the explosion.

Teresa Lopez, 57, Alsola’s neighbor, said that she failed to save anything from their house as she made sure her three grandchildren, whose ages range from three to five, were out of harm’s way.

CDN found her sitting barefoot on the sidewalk with her three grandchildren. Her daughter was crying after seeing the rubble of their house.

Laurito said they received the alarm at 9:10 a.m. and put the fire under control in 15

minutes.

Yesterday’s fire was the second to hit Cebu City this month.

Last June 12, an elderly couple died while 21 houses were razed when fire hit barangay Labangon./Correspondents Michelle L. Padayhag and Chito O. Aragon