Firefighters go through the rubble left behind after a fire hit a residential area in Sitio Kawayan, Barangay Quiot, Cebu City on early Thursday morning, January 18, 2024. | Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A 75-year-old man sustained burns while fleeing from a fire that destroyed P1.8 million worth of properties in Sitio Kawayan, Barangay Quiot, Cebu City on early Thursday morning, January 18, 2024.
The victim was identified as 75-year-old Pedrito Villadolid, a resident of the barangay.
According to a report from the Cebu City Fire Office (CCFO), Villadolid sustained second degree burns on both arms and first degree burns on his neck and forehead.
SFO2 Wendell Villanueva, information officer of the CCFO, told CDN Digital in a phone interview that the blaze allegedly started inside the victim’s house.
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Villadolid reportedly lives in his house with his wife, Bernadeth.
According to Villanueva, the two were inside their residence when the blaze started around 4:06 a.m. and hurriedly tried to escape. The husband, however, was burned on their way out.
Emergency personnel brought Villadolid to the nearest hospital for immediate medical attention.
Upon the arrival of firefighters at the scene at around 4:12 a.m., the fire was raised to the first alarm. Around 9 minutes later, they raised it to the second alarm.
Fortunately, the fire was put under control at 4:49 a.m. and fire officials declared a fire out at 5:02 a.m.
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The early morning blaze razed a total of 15 houses while 5 were partially burned. According to a report, it affected a total of 32 families or 90 individuals.
Firefighters pegged the damages caused by the blaze to be worth around P1,800,000.
Villanueva relayed that speculations arose among neighbors that the house caught on fire because the couple was allegedly using an old kerosene stove to cook at the time.
However, he clarified that this is still to be verified and a deeper investigation is being conducted to determine what caused the fire.