An afternoon fire in Alcantara town in southwestern Cebu kills a 49-year-old woman, who is a person with disability (PWD), who was left alone in the house. | Courtesy of Dumanjug Fire Station
CEBU CITY, Philippines — “Check your houses before you leave them and make sure that things that can potentially start a fire like a cooking fire is properly put out.”
Fire Inspector Rex Florido of the Dumanjug Fire Station gave this advice to the public after a fire in Barangay Pulo, Alcantara town in southwestern Cebu, killed a person with disability (PWD) today, April 10, 2020.
Belsila Macasaol, 49-year-old speech and hearing impaired woman, died after she failed to get out of the burning house, said Florido.
The victim lived with her older sister, Joveniana Macasaol Neruna, 70.
Florido said that Meruna left the house leaving Macasaol alone to do some laundry at distant house in the barangay.
That was when the fire started and Macasaol was left alone in the house.
Neighbors told Florido that it was already too late for them to do anything when they noticed the house on fire.
The only thing they could do was call the fire station.
According to the initial investigation, the fire started in the kitchen of the house where a cooking fire which was not properly put out could have started the fire.
“Maybe there was a strong wind which helped the fire immediately spread and the house was made up of light materials,” said Florido.
The fire was reported around 4:05 p.m. but the Dumanjug Fire Department arrived at to put out fire in the the mountain barangay of Alcantara town at around 4:15 p.m.
Florido said that the residents claimed that the fire happened at around noon but was only reported at least four hours later.
“It was a remote area and the cellphone reception in the area was but that maybe the reason why it took them time to report,” said Florido.
With this incident, Florido said it would be better to conduct another reminder to the community about the safety tips they could follow to help prevent fire./dbs