Series of fires hit Cebu, Tabuelan, Lapu-Lapu

A series of fires that hit Cebu City, Tabuelan town and Lapu-Lapu City since Sunday until yesterday resulted in property damage, though no one was hurt in any of the incidents.

In Cebu City, the Basement 2 of Crown Regency Hotel in Osmeña Boulevard caught fire yesterday at about 4 a.m.

Senior Fire Officer 2 Leo Magallon of Cebu City Fire Station said they received the call at 3:57 a.m. and quickly dispatched fire trucks and fire personnel to the hotel.

Magallon said the hotel's security guard, Ramily Avergonzado, was the one who noticed smoke coming from the Basement 2 which is being used to store metal scraps and unused construction materials.

Avergonzado reportedly tried to extinguish the fire but as the flames grew, she was prompted to call the fire department.

No persons were hurt in the fire which burned through the stored materials such as plywood and scrap metals as well as unused units of elevator machines and broken sewing machines.

The fire was under control by 5:03 a.m. and was completely put out by 5:57 a.m.

The estimated cost of damaged properties was pegged at around P5,000, said Magallon.

Fire responders are still investigating the cause of the fire.

“We cannot determine it yet, we invited security guards in our office to help us point the main cause of the fire,” Magallon added.

In Tabuelan town, three adjoining classrooms in Tabuelan Central Elementary School burned down during a fire last Monday morning, causing damages amounting to P150,000.

No one was hurt during the incident. Senior Fire Officer 3 Tabios Tabigon said they received the fire alarm through a walk-in report.

The fire started at 9:54 a.m. and was put out at 10:09 a.m. through joint efforts of Tuburan and Sogod Fire Stations.

Tabigon said the fire may have been caused by the school's 40-year-old unrehabilitated electrical wiring.

Last May 21, at least 200 families lost their houses due to a fire in Sitio Matumbo, Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City and another 30 houses in Sitio Kamanggahan, Barangay Labangon, Cebu City.

Senior Fire Officer 2 Climaco Salisid of Lapu-Lapu City Fire District said the damaged properties in Sitio Matumbo were pegged at around P800,000.

Senior Fire Officer 2 Ramon Molinar of Cebu City Fire Station said about P200,000 was the estimated worth of damaged properties caused by the fire in Sitio Kamanggahan. —