SunStar Cagayan de Oro, Nov. 17, 2005
DESPITE the incidence of two successive fires, the latest of which razed to the ground of two business establishments, the City Building Official here assured that building regulations have been strictly followed and monitored.
A fire devoured the King Roy Lechon Manok outlet and the adjoining Rose Photo Studio at around 3:45 a.m. Wednesday, the second to hit the city this month in the span of four days that destroyed around P150,000 worth of properties.
Fire authorities claimed that the cost of damaged properties could be higher.
On Saturday, a conflagration leveled down a business complex in Barangay Gusa, burning to ashes the seven establishments inside it.
The Wednesday fire might have been due to electrical service drop, said FO3 Rico Pacamalan of Cagayan de Oro City Central Fire Station.
But a witness identified as William Oliver, an employee of a neighboring establishment, said he saw fire sparked from atop the King Roy restaurant before the fire.
Fire authorities said this had yet to be investigated.
Investigators earlier said the Gusa fire had started in an electric post owned by the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company (Cepalco).
Citing witnesses, they said, the electric post had been sparking and showing signs of fire early on before the conflagration.
Fire officials, however, would not comment whether the two fires were caused by sudden drop of electric power from Cepalco.
The local power firm's spokespeople were not immediately available for comment Wednesday afternoon.
But the City Building Official Engineer Isidro Obligado said a team of seven CBO personnel has been going rounds to inspect commercial buildings to check for fire hazards and other electrical defects.
The building official, however, admitted that their seven-man inspection team was not enough to cover the city's hundreds of commercial structures.
As of November, only eight commercial buildings have been inspected so far, he said.
Meanwhile, City Fire Mashall Oscar Abecia advised establishments maintaining cooking sections to observe proper inspection before leaving their business premises.
Abecia said the cold months of November and December is not a guarantee that fewer fires would occur.
