Banawa fire injures 2, burns 30 homes

Two persons were injured while 50 families were left homeless when a mid-morning fire burned houses made of light materials in an  interior sitio in Banawa in barangay Guadalupe yesterday.

Fire victims Vincent Mañigo and Nestor delos Arcos were treated for burns and cuts after they tried to save their belongings from their burning homes.

Mañigo sustained third degree burns on his body while Arcos sustained a cut on the right sole after he accidentally stepped on broken glass.

Senior Supt. Anderson Comar, city fire marshal, said the 26-minute fire burned   P300, 000 worth of properties in sitio Kasagingan in Banawa.

Comar said the fire was reported to have started at the two-storey house of Era Pantonial who was not at home when the fire broke at 10:35 a.m.

The fire later spread to 29 neighboring houses.

“We tried to pour water into the flame but we were taken aback when we started to hear explosions which could have been caused by burning LPG tanks,” said a resident.

Michelle Dagatan said she immediately grabbed her one-year-old grandson, Dirk Vince, when she saw the fire.

“I panicked and did not know what to do.  I was seeing thick smoke coming from everywhere.  All I could think of was to make sure that my  grandson was safe,” she said.

Fire investigator Rudipher Comeros said the fire which started at the second floor of the Pantonial residence could have been caused by electrical short circuit.

Comar said while firefighters had difficulty entering the interior of sitio Kasagingan, they were still lucky that the fire happened during the daytime.

More houses could have been burned had the fire happened at night time,.

Guadalupe barangay officials declared sitio Kasagingan under a state of calamity in an emergency session yesterday afternoon to allow the release of relief assistance to the affected families who are now taking temporary shelter at the Banawa Elementary School.

City social workers are also expected to provide fire victims with packed meals within the next three days.

Barangay captain Michael Gacasan assured the fire victims that he would help them rebuild their burnt shanties on the privately owned lots which they used to occupy./Correspondents Jhunnex Napallacan and Patricia Andrea Patena with reports from Chito Aragon