Second to hit Barangay Pajo this year: Fire razes 47 houses
CEBU, Philippines — For the second time this year, a fire hit Sitio Paradise in Barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City yesterday morning, destroying 47 houses made of light materials and left 200 people homeless.
A neighboring area, Sitio Kitchen, was also affected.
Six houses were affected in Sitio Paradise while 41 were affected in Sitio Kitchen.
The first fire in Sitio Paradise occurred in March during which 353 houses were destroyed and 2,000 individuals were displaced.
Senior Fire Officer 2 Climaco Salisid of the Lapu-Lapu City Fire District said they received the alarm around 9:30 a.m. and were able to control it about 30 minutes later.
Damage to property is pegged at P75,000.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined but Salisid said they received information it may have started from an abandoned house where a group of people was having a pot session.
"Dili pa na kunpirmado. Daghan man mosulod-gawas diha… tagaan pa ni nato'g lapad nga imbestigasyon," he said.
Barangay Pajo Captain Junard Chan, however, denied this was the case.
"Di na tinuod. The house was abandoned… Atoa pa sad na gipa-investigate. Basin dunay tawo naghuna-huna og dautan (nga sunugon ang area)," he said.
He said the barangay has provided camping-style tents to the 200 survivors. The tents have been put up at a vacant lot near the affected areas.
Food was also provided, he said.
"Naa pa man tay nabilin sa atong barangay fund so nagpaluto ta og mga pagkaon para sa ilaha didto,"he said.
He will call for a special session of the barangay council so that the area can be placed under a state of calamity.
“Yes, mag-declare ta, para makakuha ta og calamity fund kay ubay-ubay ang nasunogan didto sa area," he said.
Chan said re-blocking Sitio Paradise after the fire in March helped because the area became easier to access.
"Nakatabang gyud ang re-blocking sa area kay kung di, mahurot gyud ang mga balay sa Paradise. Pasalamat ko sa mga bombero kay dali naka responde tungo sa reblocking," he said. (FREEMAN)
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