Mandaue: Unplugged charger eyed in Labogon fire that razed 55 houses
Barangay captain: 227 individuals were displaced by Wednesday's blaze
Firefighters of the Mandaue City Fire Office train their hose on one of the burning houses in Barangay Labogon, Mandaue City at the height of Wednesday’s blaze. | Bantay Mandaue via Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — A phone charger is believed to have caused the fire that destroyed 55 houses in Sitio Canumay, Barangay Labogon, Mandaue City.
In a phone interview, Labogon Barangay Captain Helbert Nejana said that a phone charger left unplugged was being considered as the possible cause of the fire.
READ: Fire razes 70 homes in Bacoor City, displaces 74 families
Nejana said the house owner was not at home when the fire broke out.“Nanglakaw sa balay ang tag-iya. Ni-spark ang charger, mao to nidako ang sunog,” he said.
(The owner was out of the house at that time. The charger sparked, that is why the fire spread.)
He added that the fire quickly spread as most of the houses were made of light materials.
The fire that hit a sitio in Barangay Labogon, Mandaue City on Wednesday, June 11, destroyed 55 houses. That is according to the Mandaue City Fire Office. | Bantay Mandaue via Mary Rose Sagarino
However, Chief Inspector Arnel Abella, Fire Marshal of the Bureau of Fire Protection – Mandaue City Fire Office, said the investigation was ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire.
According to their initial report, the fire started in the house of 63-year-old Emmanuel Manatad Gitgano.
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Abella noted that electrical issues were usually the common cause of fires in Mandaue City.
Investigators are still gathering more details and collecting samples.
The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon at around 3:23 p.m. It was declared under control by 4:10 p.m. and was fully extinguished by 4:59 p.m.
Firefighters do overhauling at the fire scene to make sure that all embers will be extinguished and prevent a fire from restarting. | Paul Lauro
However, as of past 8 a.m., today, June 12, firefighters continued their overhauling of the fire scene to make sure that no embers could restart the fire.
Based on a report from the barangay, the fire displaced 55 families, totaling 227 individuals.
Abella said that the narrow road leading to the fire scene was one of the challenges faced by firefighters. The damage is estimated at ₱770,000. No fatalities or major injuries were reported.
Mandaue City Mayor Glenn Bercede said that financial assistance will be given to the affected families.
House owners will receive ₱10,000, while renters and sharers will receive ₱5,000. The displaced families are currently staying at the Labogon Gymnasium. The City Social Welfare and Services is providing them with meals for three days, after which the barangay will take over.
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