VIEW FROM THE TOP. Flames consume homes at Barrio Luz. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
CEBU CITY—Traffic was heavy at a major thoroughfare here after a portion of the road was closed due to a fire that struck Barangay (village) Luz, a densely urban poor village in Cebu City.
At least 100 meters of Archbishop Reyes fronting Barangay Luz was closed to allow fire trucks to get into the fire scene, causing congestion along Governor Mariano Cuenco Avenue, which connects to northern villages in Cebu City.
Firefighters positioned themselves along Archbishop Reyes Avenue to prevent the blaze from crossing to the other side of the road.
More than 10 trucks from Cebu City and neighboring towns and cities responded to help contain the fire that had gobbled up at least 30 houses as of 4:46 p.m. The fire was put under control 30 minutes after.
At least three young children were brought to a standby ambulance after they complained of difficulty in breathing due to the thick smoke.
The fire broke out about 4 p.m., which quickly spread because the houses were made of light materials and were built close to each other.