Two apartments razed in afternoon fire

CEBU, Philippines - Two apartments were razed in an early afternoon fire that hit Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City yesterday. 

The apartments were owned by Lucrecia Meramontes and Rodolfo Saavedra. The blaze destroyed around P300,000 worth of property and affected five families.Cebu City Fire Marshal Aderson Comar said the fire was reported at 1:44 p.m. and was controlled within four minutes.

The fire reportedly started from the room occupied by Gemini and Julie Mojares who sell the streetfood “ginabot” at the corner of F. Llamas and Osmeña Streets. What reportedly triggered the fire was a light bulb that fell into a wok containing boiling oil on top of a fire. 

Rey Casido, 23, a kitchen worker, sustained second degree burns after his left arm was smothered with the boiling oil. He managed to escape from the building and shouted for help.

Jonathan Coste, 39, one of the residents, told The FREEMAN that he and his live-in partner, Melisa, were resting inside their room when they heard shouting. He rushed out of the room, but was met with the huge fire from Mojares’ kitchen.

He tried to put the blaze out with water but his efforts were futile because the blaze was too big. 

“The fire spread in seconds and engulfed the entire house which was only made-up of light materials,” Coste said.

Melisa, who was tending to their three-year-old child, ran outside their room and shouted for help. Bystanders later helped in putting out the fire.

Residents claimed that the fire had eaten most of the apartments when the firefighters arrived.

Elements of the Punta Princesa Police Station headed by Chief Insp. Aileen Recla were immediately dispatched to the fire scene to cordon and secure the area from scavengers. — (FREEMAN)