No emergency call made during fatal Mambaling fire

Local

A FIRE that broke out in Sitio Avocado, Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City on March 29, destroyed 20 homes and damaged five others.

Tragically, three siblings aged 6, 4, and 3 died in the incident.

SFO2 Wendell Villanueva, spokesperson of the Cebu City Fire Station (CCFS), revealed that no emergency calls were made to report the blaze.

Villanueva pointed out that often, residents are quick to post about emergencies on social media but fail to notify authorities.

“Wala to siyay caller. [It is] so frustrating nga mas mag-una pa gud usahay makakita ta sa facebook no, naay mag live dayon, ang panguta, ‘nakatawag na ba mo ug bombero?” he said during the MyTVCebu OpenLine News Forum on Tuesday, April 1.

Villanueva said that it was the fire responders from the Pardo Fire Substation, who, while en route to a training session at South Road Properties, spotted the flames at 8:51 a.m.

He said they arrived just two minutes later, only to find the fire had already fully engulfed the area.

He also reported that the initial cause being investigated was children playing with matchsticks, although multiple causes are being considered.

Villanueva urged parents to be vigilant and store hazardous materials like matchsticks, candles, and butane canisters safely out of children’s reach.

According to data from the Cebu City Fire Office (CCFO), between January and March this year, responders tackled 86 fire incidents, destroying at least 77 structures, with an estimated damage of P24.1 million.

In comparison, from January to March 2024, the Cebu City Fire Station responded to 110 fire incidents, which resulted in the destruction of 90 structures and property losses amounting to P48 million.

Additionally, six lives were lost in fires during that period.(TGP)