50 homes destroyed in Cebu City fire

Residents help firefighters put out the fire that destroyed at least 50 houses in two sub-villages in Barangay Calamba, Cebu City, on July 24, 2017. (PHOTO BY LITO TECSON / CDN)

CEBU CITY—Narrow roads made it difficult for firefighters to put out a fire that destroyed at least 50 houses made of light materials in Sitios Mahayahay 1 and 2 in Barangay Calamba in Cebu City.

The fire started at 12:14 p.m. but was placed under control at 2:04 p.m. or almost two hours later.

Senior Supt. Samuel Tadeo, head of the Cebu City Fire Department, said small access roads in the area made it difficult for firefighters to immediately reach the origin of the fire which was located in the interior of the thickly populated community.

Some male residents tried to help firefighters by dousing the flames with buckets of water.

A barangay employee said in an interview with radio station dyAB that Sitio Mahayahay 1 and 2 had a voting population of over 1,500 each, making these the two biggest sub-villages in their barangay. Tadeo said they were still determining the cause of the fire, which reportedly started at the rented house of Princess Ramas.

As of 2:29 p.m., fire firefighters said at least 50 homes were burned, with no reported injuries or casualties.

But Tadeo said the final count would show more homes being destroyed.

“For now, we still cannot enter the interior,” he said.

Lea Japson, head of the city’s Department of Social Welfare and Services, said social workers and disaster personnel had been deployed to the fire scene to do an inventory of affected families and identify their immediate needs.

Barangay officials were preparing their gymnasium in Sitio Mahayahay 2 to serve as relocation site.

Others who could no longer be accommodated there would be placed on the third floor of the Calamba barangay hall. SFM/rga

Barangay Calamba, Cebu City (Google maps)