Nearly P4 billion lost in Cebu City high-rise condo building fire — Cebu City fire marshal

Smoke engulfs the upper part of the high-rise condominium building in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City at the height of the fire on April 14. | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Nearly P4 billion worth of property went up in smoke after a nine-hour fire hit a high-rise condominium building on Friday, April 14, in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City.

Supt. Reynaldo Enoc, Bureau of Fire Protection in Central Visayas Cebu City fire marshal, in a report, pegged the estimated damage to property at P3,981,600,000.00.

Enoc said that the building was still under construction when the fire happened and only the construction workers were present when it occurred.

He also said that they were investigating reports about welding works done at the roof deck as a possible cause of fire.

He, however, said that this had yet to be verified.

READ: Huge fire hits high-rise condo building in Cebu City

Firefighters at the height of the fire use aerial ladders to battle the fire that hit the high-rise condo building at Barangay Kasambagan on April 14. | Paul Lauro

According to Senior Fire Officer 2 (SF02) Romeo Birao Jr. of the Cebu City Fire Office (CCFO), that it was declared fire out at 11:49 p.m. on April 14 or more or less 9 hours since the fire was reported at 2:41 p.m.

However, at past 5 a.m. today, April 15, smoke was seen coming out on four floors of the building.

Birao was among the firefighters who rushed back to the fire scene at past 5 a.m., which was nearly six hours since the fire in the building was declared fire out.

He said that smoke was seen coming out from the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 14th floors.

At past 8 a.m. today, the firefighters said that they had put out the fire on those floors.

And they were continuing the overhauling process of the fire scene.

BFP-7 Director Enoc, in his report, said they raised the fire alarm to Task Force Bravo at 4:38 p.m.

This means that it will be the Cebu City fire marshal directly handling the response of putting out the fire.

Enoc said that the fire was reported at 2:41 p.m. and was raised to the first alarm at that time.

It was further raised to the 2nd alarm at 4:01 p.m., 3rd alarm at 4:11 p.m., 4th alarm at 4:19 p.m., 5th alarm at 4:24 p.m.

At 4:29 p.m., it was raised to Task Force Alpha, which meant that it would be the BFP-7 Director Enoc handling the response to the fire.

It was further raised Task Force Bravo at 4:38 p.m.

According to Enoc in his report, that the fire was placed under control at 7:50 p.m.

He also said that firefighters in 63 firetrucks responded  in helping put out the April 14 building fire in Barangay Kasambagan.

READ: Man dies in Banilad fire; 75 left homeless

The fire in Kasambagan was the second fire to hit Cebu City that day.

The first was in a relocation site in Barangay Banilad at past 9 a.m. in the morning. One person died in that fire.

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