Occupants of the two-story building at 1531 Rubi St. corner Zobel Roxas Avenue, Santa Ana, Manila, told investigators that they noticed smoke coming out from the rented unit of Cely del Mundo at the ground floor.
Manila Fire District operation chief Bonifacio Carta told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Del Mundo and her two grandchildren were in Church for Sunday Mass when the fire started at around 6:18 a.m.
The old wooden building was famous among residents in the community and in adjacent barangays (villages) because it served as the house of Sharon Cuneta’s character in the 2003 film “Crying Ladies.”
“Nobody even told me that my house was already burning,” she said as a Red Cross team administered oxygen to help her breathe.
She also claimed she only saved some of her clothes from the burning house and that she left all her money inside her room.
Neighbors are suspecting that the owner left an electric stove open when she went out to hear Mass.
Carta said no one got hurt in the one-hour fire that was raised to fourth alarm and burned down 10 residential units.
“The house was made of light construction materials so the fire easily spread to the whole building,” he said.
The operation chief estimated property losses at around P500,000.
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