110 families lose homes in Leyte fire

TACLOBAN CITY—It was a tragic New Year for the 110 families (660 individuals) who lost their homes in the fire that hit Barangay (village) 56 in Perichon District, Tacloban City, Leyte.

The fire, which broke out at 12:19 a.m., lasted for four hours and destroyed 69 houses in the city that is still recovering from the onslaught of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in 2013.

The cause of the fire had yet to be determined, said SFO2 Levino Caya of the City Bureau of Fire Protection.

“But we are not ruling out the possibility that it was caused by a lighted firecracker,” he said.

Caya said there were accounts that a wayward firecracker hit the house of Salvacion Murillo, 60.

Murillo and her daughter, Vivian, managed to get out of their two-story house, Caya said.

Joseph Solayao, 50, said the fire was the worst they had experienced since Yolanda.

“At least when Yolanda hit us, were able to save some of our belongings unlike now.
What we have are our clothes on our back,” said the 50-year-old father of six.

He said he was lying on his bed when his son informed him that the house of Murillo, which was a few meters from their house, was on fire.

Solayao and the rest of the family members immediately went out of the house without bringing any of their belongings.

He lamented that during Yolanda, their house only sustained minor damage. “Now, it is all gone,” he added.

While it was painful to lose their house, Joy Capili, 36, said what was more important was that her family was safe.

“We ran out of the house. We were able to bring only our civil registry records placed in a cabinet,” said the mother of four said.

Just like the rest of the victims, Solayao and Capili were temporarily staying at their respective relatives.

The fire started at 12.19 a.m. and was declared fire out at 3 a.m.

Fire stations from nearby towns of Palo, Tanauan, Babatngon, Alangalang and Sta. Fe as well as those from the Chinese chamber helped put out the fire.

Village chairman Cesar Advincula said the 110 displaced families need food, kitchen utensils and clothes after they lost their properties in the fire. RAM

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