Lit candle starts fire in Batangas ‘mansion’; owner dead

SAN PEDRO CITY –– A man died after being trapped inside his bedroom when his house caught fire in Nasugbu town in Batangas province.

The victim was identified as Renato Fidel Velasco, an employee of a petroleum company. Fire investigators said he was in his early 50s.

In a phone interview Saturday, Nasugbu Fire Sr. Inspector Benjie Caca said the fire may have started from an unattended candle that was lit in time for All Saints’ Day.

The candle was lit near Velasco’s bedroom on the second floor of his house in Barangay Pantalan before noon on Friday.

Caca said the victim was sleeping in his room as his family prepared food downstairs “for their sort of reunion.”

He described the house as a “mansion, with many antique and native furniture that may easily catch fire.”

The family immediately called for help when they noticed smoke coming from the second floor, but fire responders found Velasco already unconscious and had burns in his body. He died on the way to the Jabez Medical Center. Maricar Cinco/lzb