Teener who saved family ends up dead in QC fire

MANILA, Philippines — A teenage girl, who had saved her family by waking them up and alerting them to a fire, ended up dead in the early Sunday’s fire that hit her home in Quezon City.

April Rose Pereco, 14, of 24 Republic Avenue in Barangay (village) Greater Fairview, had tried to help put out the fire but burning debris had fallen on her, preventing her escape.

Quezon City Fire District personnel conducting mopping up operations later found her badly burned remains among the ashes and debris left by the blaze, which was initially theorized to have been caused by an unattended candle or an oil lamp that had toppled over.

Senior Police Officer 1 Cristituto Zaldarriaga, of the Quezon City Police District Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD-CIDU), said that the blaze started at around 2 a.m., at Pereco’s home.

According to Pereco’s uncle Tony Minguillo, he and other family members were roused from sleep by the teenager who alerted them to the fire. All of them were able to evacuate from the burning two-story house but the 14-year-old girl had suddenly dashed right back into their home with a pail of water apparently wanting to help put out the blaze.

Minguillo told police investigators that he tried to chase after his niece but was not able to get to her in time as the ceiling had already collapsed.

Senior Fire Officer 1 Francisco Mabunga, of the Quezon City Fire district, said that the fire started at around 1:55 a.m. and was placed under control at 2:23 a.m. after reaching the first alarm and put out at 2:37 a.m.

He said that the blaze destroyed about P100,000 worth of property.

Arson investigators are still determining the cause of the blaze and are verifying reports by neighbors that it could have been caused by an oil lamp, which had been lit because the house had no electricity at the time, or by a candle left lighted for the commemoration of All Souls’ Day.