60 families displaced by Cebu fire

CEBU CITY—At least 60 families were displaced in a fire that broke out in Talisay City on Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours after more than 100 houses were destroyed in a fire in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City, last Friday.

SFO2 Paz II Cuyno, Talisay City fire investigator, said the fire broke out at 3:33 p.m. in sitio Bahada, Tabunok, Talisay City and was raised to Task Force Alpha at 3:55 p.m. before it was placed under control at 4:20 p.m.

When the fire was totally put out at 5:20 p.m., around 15 houses were destroyed, Cuyno said.

Based on their investigation, Cuyno said, the fire started from the room on the second floor in the house owned by Vicente Francisco Elorde Jr.

But Elorde told investigators that his house was actually occupied by renters but he could not name the person who rented the room on the second floor.

Elorde, who is living beside the boarding house, claimed that he saw smoke coming from the second floor of the boarding house and then heard an explosion.

Cuyno said they could not determine the cause of the fire.

Cuyno said no one was injured in the fire, but firefighters were having difficulty in the operation because the fire started from the interior area and the houses were made of light materials.

Cuyno said they had to connect at least 10 hoses in order to put out the fire.

Cuyno said fire volunteers from at least seven barangays of Talisay, fire trucks from Cebu City, Mandaue City and Minglanilla also responded to the fire alarm.

The damage was pegged at P150,000.

The fire victims were relocated to the Tabunok gym, she said.