56 people left homeless in Pahina fire

CEBU, Philippines —  Thirty houses were razed when a fire broke out in Barangay Pahina Central, Cebu City yesterday afternoon.

The fire that struck a residential area in Sitio Fatima at 2 p.m. left 12 families or 56 individuals homeless, the Cebu City Fire Department said.

Two residents 40-year-old Teresa Gonzales suffered first-degree burns on her neck and shoulder and 55-year-old Charita Misa had difficulty breathing.

The estimated structural damage was pegged at P350,000.

Fire Officer 2 Emerson Arceo said most of the houses were made of light materials, causing the flames to spread quickly.

He said the fire reached the second alarm before it was put out after almost one hour.

“The response was not difficult because the area is just near the road. The fire trucks and firemen were able to access it easily,” he said.

The fire, he said, started at the house of a certain Rose Gonzales.

Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire.

Arceo said though the fire investigators are looking at a possible electrical misuse that led to a short circuit as the cause of the conflagration.

Electrical misuse, faulty electrical wiring and unattended open flames were among the top causes of fire in the city based on reports. — KQD (FREEMAN)