Fire left 27 families homeless
Barangay worries there’s little left of its calamity fund after series of fires in the area
TWENTY-SEVEN families were affected by a fire along F. Rallos St., Barangay Suba, Cebu City last Saturday morning, the Department of Social Welfare and Services said in a list.
The fire destroyed six houses and damaged three others. The alarm was received by the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) 7 at 7:50 a.m. firefighters put out the fire 20 minutes after.
Barangay Suba Captain Rogelio Resurecion said his officials will meet today to discuss what they can do to help the victims.
He assured to spend for the victims’ meals until today.
“Nakuhaan na gyud ang among calamity fund tungod atong dakong sunog sad nga miigo sa Suba sa milabay nga bulan. Pero magpaabot mi sa City Hall kung naa silay ihatag (We already used part of our calamity fund to help the victims of an earlier fire. We are waiting for help from City Hall),” Resurecion said.
Instead of staying at the barangay complex, the victims opted to set up tents near the fire scene. The barangay also set up two tents for the victims.
Divina Borres Ilopre, owner of the house where the fire started, said her nephew, Dustine, 4, was the one who first noticed the blaze.
“We were sleeping that time when Dustine shouted that there was a fire in the altar. If he did not wake us up, we could have been trapped,” Ilopre said.
Ilopre said their poodle named “Doodle” died in the fire.
Three family members - Dayna Garces, Elbert Abing and Christian Garces – suffered minor burns while trying to put out the fire.
The BFP 7 is investigating the cause of the fire.
Insp. Jose Laurito, head of Cebu City Fire Department’s Operation Division, said an electrical misuse could have started the blaze.
Ilopre said the fire started on the third floor of their house where the altar is located.
She said that last Friday, their neighbors already smelled burnt wire. But when they checked inside the house, they didn’t see anything.
“Igo lang gyud mi gipatulog anang pagka gabii nga nanimaho, dayon pagmata namo nasunog na (The morning after that, the fire struck),” Ilopre said.
The fire destroyed an estimated P700,000 worth of properties.