Fire leaves home P500T in damages

CEBU, Philippines - A house owned by a former official of the Food and Drugs Administration was destroyed by fire Tuesday night in Barangay Ibabao-Estancia, Mandaue City.

The fire destroyed the two-storey house of Leoncia Cortes, 75. The house was made of concrete and light materials.

Senior Fire Officer 2 Cipriano Codilla Jr. of the Mandaue City Fire Department said Cortes allegedly forgot about the water she was heating which caused the fire.

Codilla said Cortes went to the second level of the house to rest for a little while. She remembered about the water she was heating when she noticed and smelled the smoke billowing from the kitchen.

"Nag-init og tubig, unya nabiyaan niya… nisaka siya's taas. Ni-relax-relax ba, unya nakalimtan niya," Codilla said.

Cortes shouted for help and managed to get out of the house unharmed.

Firefighters received the alarm at 9:40 p.m., controlled it after 25 minutes and declared it out after one hour and 35 minutes. They said the fire was raised to second alarm.

Cortes' house was located inside a compound on S.B. Cabahug Street in Sitio Macopa. On the right side of the house was a store selling liquefied petroleum gas, said Codilla. Nearby houses were also close to one another.

However, Codilla said the fire did not spread to other houses because it broke out in the evening when there was no heavy traffic and firefighters could easily respond. The house was also easily accessible since it was also located along the road.

Firefighters pegged the damage at P500,000 because of Cortes' appliances, cash, and jewelry that were burned. — Jave A. Matugas (FREEMAN)