Fire hits 28 houses in Lorega-San Miguel

CEBU, Philippines - Over 180 individuals were left homeless after a fire hit Sitio Lumar, Barangay Lorega-San Miguel past 1 in the morning yesterday.

At least 20 houses were destroyed and eight more houses were damaged in the fire leaving 42 families or 182 individuals homeless.

Senior Fire Officer 3 Piere Angelo Abellana, investigator of the Cebu City Fire Station, said the alarm was received at 1:53 a.m. yesterday and all fire trucks, including that of the volunteers, responded to the alarm.

The fire originated from the second floor of the house owned by Efren Coyoca Sr., but the investigator could not yet conclude the cause of fire as it is still subject for investigation and validation.

Lemuel Diola, a resident in the area, told reporters that when he saw the second floor of Coyoca’s house on fire, they immediately alarmed the neighborhood and called for help from the fire station.

Coyoca, for his part, said he was awakened by the heat emerging from the second floor of his house. As soon as he saw the fire engulfing the house and smoke billowing from the window, he immediately ran for safety.

Abellana said the fire status reached second alarm because the area was congested with houses made of light materials.

The fire was placed under control at 2:20 a.m. with no recorded injuries or casualties.

The fire left an estimated damage of P400,000.

In an interview with Cebu City acting vice mayor Leah Japson, she said that the affected families will be temporarily housed in the gymnasium of Barangay Lorega-San Miguel and will be given food assistance until Wednesday.

Japson added that some of the fire victims have sought refuge in the houses of their relatives while some remained at the gym.

The Cebu City government will extend cash assistance to the fire victims through the Department of Social Services.

Japson said the wide road in the area helped the firefighters control the fire easily and a firewall helped prevent the fire from spreading.  (FREEMAN)