Afternoon fire razes 7 houses in Lapasan

A FIRE razed at least seven houses in Lawisbra, Lapasan today at around 1 pm.

Scenes of residents scampering away from the conflagration met the responding firefighters. Some nearby residents, despite the meager availability, collected water in different containers in case the fire would spill over to their houses.

Students from the adjacent main campus of the University of Science and Technology in Southern Philippines (USTP) and employees from the nearby LimKetKai mall rushed to their residences and boarding houses and tried to salvage what personal belongings they can.

“The cause of (the) fire is still under investigation. Kalooy sa Ginoo, negative injuries and casualties sa mga residents and firefighters,” Insp. Samson T. Velarde, Station 6 commander said in an interview.

Velarde pegged the damage to properties at P800,000.

The following residences that were initially identified as burnt by the fire were Silobrico, Ladao, Piodena, Cabanes, and Falle.

Chona Ladao, owner and landlord of one of the houses, said that a loud bang was heard, prior to the fire starting. Her house is made of a combined concrete ground floor and wooden second floor. She was unable to assess what damage her house incurred as she was prevented from going back to her house by the firefighters for her safety.

There were several onlookers who were boarders of the burned-down houses standing away from the fire.

Lara, who hails from Malaybalay, and works at a store at LKKS mall, said she lost all her belongings as she was still working when the fire happened. She only arrived to be met by the burning rubble of the house she boards in.

Marie, from Casisang, Bukidnon, a graduating architecture student of USTP, was at the sala of her boarding house (Ladao) working on her school project when she heard what sounded like loud whooshing wind and a crash from upstairs.

Smoke started billowing and someone shouted “fire!” She was able to gather her belongings, like her laptop and polaroid camera, and important documents like her passport and school papers.

Anna, a 3rd-year civil engineering student from Zamboanga Del Sur, was able to see the flames appear at her window, shortly before she ran outside. She was only able to save her laptop and cellular phone, and with only the clothes on her back.

Security guards of USTP confirmed that all employees and students were sent home as a precaution despite the school campus having a firewall that protected it from the fire that consumed the adjacent houses to it.