Tabogon fire kills farmer, 85
He reportedly went back inside his burning hut.
An 85-year-old farmer died in an early morning fire inside his home in sitio Kabulakan, barangay Libho, Tabogon town, northern Cebu yesterday.
Police identified the fatality as widower Henobibo Andrin.
Police investigation revealed that Andrin was cooking food for breakfast in his dirty kitchen inside his hut around 7 a.m. when flames started to eat his small hut made of light materials.
Andrin was trying to start a fire using dried leaves of plants and dried coconut shells to cook his food when his hut caught fire.
Police said rescuers were not able to save the old man because the house was located about 500 meters uphill from the main road where the pathway is narrow and neighboring houses are far apart.
“The fire trucks cannot pass through the narrow road,” said Insp. Lamberto Hibaya, chief of the Tabogon police in a phone interview.
Hibaya said Andrin lived alone in the hut and his 46-year-old son Miguel, who lived about 200 meters from his father’s hut rushed to his father’s aid.
Hibaya said that Miguel arrived to find his father outside his burning hut.
Miguel told police he tried to stop his father from returning to the burning hut to get something.
Miguel held his arm but Andrin managed to free himself and returned inside his hut.
Police said Andrin never came out from the burning hut. His charred remains were later found inside the razed hut.
Bogo firefighters received the fire alarm at 7:15 a.m. from the Tabogon police station since the town has no fire station. Munez said Bogo firefighters arrived at the fire scene at 7:45 a.m.
The hut was reportedly gutted by fire several months ago. Munez said Andrin escaped but he suffered burns on his forehead.
Munez pegged the damage to property at P5,000. Andrin’s remains were buried yesterday afternoon at the town’s cemetery./With a report from Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan
