Fire volunteer Ryan Conson/ Photo: Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu— Despite the intense heat of the flames that spread to two sitios in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City, Ryan Conson fought hard, together with other firefighters, in their bid to stop the fire from spreading further.
Conson, who is 38 years old, is a fire volunteer of Barangay Looc. He ended up sustaining first-degree burns around his body while fighting the fire last Tuesday, March 12, 2024, in Sitios UTB (Under the Bridge) and Bantayan sa Hari.
Conson was among the first to respond to the fire that burned down over 300 houses and displaced 515 families, consisting of 1,677 individuals. The fire was raised to the third alarm and took two hours to be put out, at 2:16 p.m.
Conson said he didn’t mind the burns while responding to the fire.
“Ang ako gyud huna-huna ato nga mapawng lang gyud og dali nga dili modako ang kayo. Unsaon man nga wala mangyud maato, nahurot gyud amoa ug among mga silingan. Kita kaayo (ang pagkasunog sa amo balay) kay naa ra man mis firetruck,” said Conson.
He sustained a first-degree burn on his arm and a portion of his face that he only noticed after the fire was extinguished.
Conson recounted that when the fire broke out, he had just eaten his lunch but did not waver and immediately joined the fire brigade.
Conson was a nozzleman, assigned to connect the hoses and operate the nozzle.
He has been a fire volunteer for a year now. He was inspired to become a volunteer after the massive fire engulfed their neighboring sitio, Sitio Paradise, last November 2022, displacing around 700 families.
Currently, Conson and his family are temporarily residing at the barangay’s gymnasium together with other fire victims.
“Ang akoa lang gyud nga safe mi akoang pamilya unya safety sad sad ang fire volunteers,” said Conson.
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