Fires hit Mandaue

CEBU, Philippines - Two separate fires hit Mandaue City in a span of 19 hours.

The first fire occurred at around 5:55 p.m. on Wednesday in Barangay Ibabao-Estancia wherein a lumber yard was affected.

The yard belonged to Tokoname Enterprises owned by Walberto Algar.

The fire was controlled in a span of five minutes but it took five hours for firefighters to completely put off the fire because of the woods stocked at the yard that facilitated the fire.

Fire Officer 1John Mark Banares of the Mandaue City Fire Department said the fire started at the back portion of the lumber yard and quickly spread to the stocked lumber.

It was believed that the fire may have originated from the "hot works operation" as the workers were cutting steels.

Damage of fire was pegged at P100,000.

Meanwhile, a house made of light materials was partially burned after the two grandchildren of the owner were playing with a lighter at around 1:35 p.m. yesterday in Barangay Centro.

The fire was controlled five minutes after.

The said house was owned by Gertrudes Heyrosa, 64, of Sitio Tribunal in Barangay Centro which is just 200 meters away from the fire station.

It was also learned from Banares that the fire was due to Heyrosa's grandchildren aged 6 and 7 who were playing with fire at the second floor of their house.

The fire's damage was estimated at P40,000. — Flor Z. Perolina (FREEMAN)