89-year-old bedridden woman dies in Iloilo fire

INQUIRER FILES

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — An 89-year-old bedridden woman died after a fire ravaged seven houses in Sara town, Iloilo province, on Tuesday, leaving an estimated P1.6 million in structural damages.

According to Fire Inspector Jory Biliran, chief of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Sara Fire Station, the blaze completely destroyed five homes and partially damaged two others. The affected structures were built with a mix of concrete and light materials.

The victim, whose identity has been withheld pending official reports, lived with her 82-year-old sibling. Authorities noted that both required constant care at the time of the incident.

The BFP received the fire call at exactly 9:10 p.m. Despite the fire scene being located approximately 300 meters behind the fire station, firefighters arrived to find the flames already at an advanced stage.

“We were surprised that even though the fire was just behind our station, the blaze was already massive when we responded,” Biliran said.

The intensity of the fire quickly overwhelmed the initial response. Biliran explained that their fire truck, which has a capacity of 1,000 gallons, ran out of water while combating the large blaze. Fire Ground Commander Biliran officially declared a “fire out” at 12:12 a.m. on Wednesday.

The exact origin and owner of the house where the fire started remain under active investigation. However, preliminary information from an informant suggests the fire may have been caused by a toppled mosquito coil or left-over embers. Authorities stressed that this remains an unconfirmed initial report. /cb