Probe underway on Talamban fire that killed 10-year-old boy
A portion of a razed house where a boy was trapped and died at the height of the early morning fire is being cordoned off by authorities as fire investigators do their investigation on the early morning fire in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City. I Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Fire investigators are examining various angles to determine the cause of the early morning fire along A. Borbajo Street in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City, on Tuesday, June 4 that resulted in the death of a 10-year-old boy.
According to Senior Fire Officer 2 (SFO2) Wendell Villanueva, information officer of the Cebu City Fire Office (CCFO), the investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing.
Villanueva added that one possible cause is a lit candle left unattended, as they received reports that the house had no electricity.
However, the boy’s mother, 28-year-old Marites Villamor, denied this, claiming that they used solar power to provide electricity to their house.
The 10-year-old victim was left alone in the house early Tuesday morning while his grandmother, Nita Villamor, 60, went out to buy groceries at the Carbon public market.
Meanwhile, his mother reportedly left the house to eat out shortly after 2 a.m.
When the fire broke out at around 2:21 a.m., the boy was in a deep sleep and did not notice the flames.
He was trapped inside the burning house, leading to his untimely death.
Firefighters raised the fire to the first alarm upon their arrival at around 2:23 a.m.
Less than 10 minutes later, fire officials declared the fire out.
A report from the CCFO revealed that the fire completely burned three houses and destroyed P300,000 worth of properties.
The incident affected three families, totaling 13 individuals.
According to Villanueva, they received information that the victim was frequently left alone in the house.
As of this writing, fire officials are coordinating with the victim’s mother and looking deeper into what caused the fire in the barangay.
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