Virgilio Lorenzo Jr

Oil depot fire razes 20 houses in Cebu City

Article (news)

Annie Perez

CEBU CITY —  A fire that broke out at the North Reclamation Area in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City razed around 20 houses on Saturday.According to Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Cebu City spokesperson Senior Fire Officer 2 Wendell Villanueva, the fire that started around 9 p.m. involved an oil depot. It was raised to the fourth alarm and was declared out around 11 p.m.He said the building where the fire broke out was being used to store petroleum.Firefighters had to use special equipment to control the fire, especially as high levels of ammonia were detected. Oil tankers were also razed.Villanueva said firefighters also found barrels of diesel fuel being stored at the site.Guests of a nearby hotel were asked to evacuate as the fire continued to engulf the area. Initial reports of the BFP said that some 20 houses were totally burned. Residents were also moved to a safer location for the night. The number of affected families is yet to be determined.Villanueva said the damage was pegged at P3.857 million. The BFP will continue its investigation into the cause of the fire.Meanwhile, they will continue to maintain their heightened alert status due to the Sinulog Festival on January 19.Some of their personnel will help in securing the route to also ensure that no fire will break out while the grand parade is ongoing.

Firefighters had to use special equipment to control the fire, especially as high levels of ammonia were detected.

Firefighters had to use special equipment to control the fire, especially as high levels of ammonia were detected.