Fire at V. Castro and Jasmin Streets, Carmen, Cagayan de Oro shortly before midnight of February 19, 2025. [CSWD photo]
MindanaoToday.com | 3 fires hit Oro in a day; damage P1M
By: Uriel Quilinguing
Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines – Just 10 days before Fire Prevention Month kicks off in March, fire-suppression skills were tried as firefighters had to respond three fire incidents in three areas within 14 hours here Wednesday, February 19.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) placed the combined damage at P1.190 million—most of which from a late-night fire at Barangay Carmen that singed a hardware store and charred three residential buildings.
At about 9 a.m. that day, Cagayan de Oro Fire District (COFD) personnel contained a blaze on two houses few steps across their station at Vicente Roa Street of Barangay 32, meters away from Cogon Public Market.
Senior Fire Officer Justino Daguplo Jr. of COFD told reporters that only one house, which was made of light materials, was totally burned while another was slightly damaged, thus the damage was about P6,000.
Shortly before 12 noon that day, the COFD also got another fire alarm, this time from Barangay Iponan. Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading, but structural damage was about P54 thousand.
Cresilda Carbajal, house-owner, said she lost everything and would need assistance to rebuild her house.
In the hour-and-a-half blaze at Carmen, Senior Fire Officer 2 Debie Mabulay said they declared the fire under control at 12:35 a.m. of February 20, after it reached third alarm.
Mabulay told reporters there were 13 firetrucks who were at ground zero, including three from fire volunteer groups. They took turns in putting off the blaze end-to-end so that it could not spread to nearby residential structures and business establishments.
She said most of the cost of damage was from a hardware store as it was partially damage, including stored spare parts and construction materials.
On Thursday, February 20, the City Social Welfare Department (CSWD) reported that they have started assisting five families, composed of 25 persons, from Carmen fire. They had provided food and non-food items.
Affected individuals are sheltered, with the use of collapsible tents, in an evacuation building at Carmen National High School campus.
As of this writing, fire investigators are still determining the origins. [Uriel Quilinguing/MT]
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