20160817 Philippines Candle starts fire
Philippines Aug 16 2016 “Houses”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : more than 70 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Candle starts fire
Updated: 2016-08-17-00:00
A fire destroyed 130 houses in Sitio Arca, Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City, the other night.
A total of 292 families are now homeless after a fire destroyed 130 houses in Sitio Arca, Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City, last Monday evening. The fire was blamed on a lighted candle that was left unattended.
No one was reported hurt or killed during the incident while the damage was estimated at P1.3 million.
Senior Fire Officer 1 Hadji Samonte, investigator of the Lapu-Lapu City Fire Department, said that the fire started in the house of Angelita Casunilao, 36, who did not realize until too late that her house was on fire since she was busy putting her child to sleep.
Power was cut off from Casunilao’s after she reportedly failed to pay her bills and she resorted to using a candle for lighting.
The fire started around 9:49 p.m. and Samonte said they received the alarm at 9:50 p.m. Firefighters immediately responded, reaching the area around 9:53 p.m.
Samonte said they raised the alarm to Task Force Charlie, calling all the city’s fire sub-stations and the fire departments of the neighboring cities, because the area was congested and the fire was getting bigger due to strong winds.
The fire was declared under control around 11:40 p.m. but it was not until 4 a.m. the next day when it was declared totally out.
The 292 families (1,042 individuals) are temporarily housed at the Pusok Elementary School and the Pusok High School, 254 families are in the elementary school while the other 38 families are in the high school.
Majority of the affected residents were factory workers.
“Ang barangay nag-provide og repack karon. Gipa-settle down pa ‘ning uban. Mga trabahante wala’y napunit (nga sanina),” said Andy Berame, deputy officer of City Disaster Risk-Reduction Management Office.
The City Social Welfare Services also provided relief goods, Berame added.
Mayor Paz Radaza suspended the classes of both schools in order to house the fire victims.
Meanwhile, Pusok Barangay Captain Caridad Dawat has declared the area under a state of calamity and said she will use the barangay’s funds to provide necessary items for the affected constituents.
“The city government also provided the fire victims with essential items, such as food and toiletries,” Dawat said. She also said that they are currently assessing the needs of the displaced residents.
“Tanawon kung unsa pa’y kuwang o problema. Kung naa’y sobra sa (barangay) funds, mopalit mi og housing materials.
Dawat, however, said she remains uncertain as to when the fire victims can go back to the affected area to rebuild their houses.
This is the third fire in the city since the start of August.
In Sitio Dapdap, Barangay Mactan, about eight houses were destroyed by fire last August 9, while in August 12 a fire broke out inside a furniture shop in Sitio Ibabao, Barangay Agus.
In both fires damage was estimated at P350,000. Both fires were also blamed on electric misuse.
Web Source: Philstar
http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2016/08/17/1614338/candle-starts-fire