Dawn fire razes 87 houses in Mandaue

CEBU, Philippines - A dawn fire yesterday leveled at least 87 houses in a relocation site in Zone Ahos, Barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City.

The city’s Bureau of Fire and Protection, which elevated the conflagration to Task Force Alpha, received the fire alarm at 2:05 a.m. and was able to finally put it off at 3:07 a.m.  They pegged the damage at P490,000.

Senior Fire Officer 3 Socrates Jude Nacua Jr. said the fire started at the second floor of the two-storey house owned by a certain Stella Abad.

Abad was not at home when the incident happened and only her three children, aged 10, four and three years old, were left inside their house.

According to Nacua, the 10-year-old kid saved the lives of his two siblings from the disaster.

“Gidali ni niya ug pukaw unya nanggawas sila. Maayo gani wala pa kaayo nidako ang kayo,”said Nacua.

Nacua said that they are still investigating the possible cause of fire, but they are looking into the unattended electric fan and mosquito coil.

He added they never had a challenge in navigating around the area since the place had wider roads, however, majority of the houses were made of light materials, which caused the fire to spread quickly.

The affected families are temporarily sheltered in the barangay’s gymnasium.  Jessie Perez, City Social Welfare Services Officer, said that the fire victims were immediately provided with meals, blankets and hygiene kits.

Perez added that the victims can just go back to the site since it is part of the 6.5-hectare relocation site of the city government.

Among the fire trucks that responded were from Cebu City, Consolacion, Lapu-Lapu. Fire volunteers from Barangays Tabok, Paknaan, Bantay Mandaue, ERUF, and Red Cross also responded. —/GAN (FREEMAN)