Fire leaves 300 families homeless

CEBU, Philippines - A total of 300 families lost their homes when fired razed 193 houses in Sitio Lower Kamansi, Barangay Pakna-an, Mandaue City yesterday morning.

More damage would have been caused by the blaze, but thanks to the presence of a fire hydrant, firefighters, who could not bring their trucks close to the scene, were able to douse the flames.

The residents of the affected area used to live behind the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex, but were relocated to this after due to the construction of a public market.

Most of the homes were built of light materials.

Origin

The Mandaue City Fire Department received the alarm at 8:16 a.m. and it was immediately raised to Task Force Alpha since the area is thickly populated.

Based in the initial investigation conducted by FO3 Nilo Cosido, investigator of the Mandaue City Fire Department, the blaze started in the second floor of the house owned by Radencio Ramos.

Ramos was at work when the fire broke and it was only his common law wife and two children, who were there.

Cosido said that it was the neighbors, who alerted Ramos’ live-in partner about the fire on the second story of their home as she and the kids were at the ground floor.

 “Nakakita gyud ko nga ang kayo diha nagsugod sa ikaduhang andana sa balay nila Nanay Ramos,” (I saw the fire start at the second floor of the house of Nanay Ramos) John Chady Sarmiento, 23, a witness said.

Sarmiento said that he then shouted for help and took a pail of water and splashed it towards the house of Ramos, but to no avail.

Seeing the flames engulf their neighbor’s house he decided to instead bring his mother and siblings to safety.

No access road

Cosido said that they had difficulty reaching the fire scene due to the lack of an access road.

He said that most of the fire trucks parked on Plaridel Street and the firemen connected their hoses to reach the fire scene, which was 300 meters away.

Finding a fire hydrant near the Cansaga Bridge allowed the firefighters to get a source of water closer to the scene.

Agusto Marikit, 40, said he was at work when the fire broke out and rushed home after he got a call from his wife.

He said that they were not able to save anything, but luckily his wife and all his eight children are safe.

No casualties

Cosido also said that there were no fatalities in the fire.

This as the old woman, who was earlier reported to have been trapped, was luckily saved her grandson.

The three children, who were reportedly locked inside their house, were rescued by their mother.

Assistance

Mayor Jonas Cortes immediately sent personnel from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) headed by Violeta Cavada.

Cavada said, the fire victims will be temporarily housed at the Pakna-an gym while other families were allowed to put up tents in the fire scene.

Cosido said that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The damage was pegged at P250,000 and the fire was controlled after 28 minutes.—/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)