ORMOC CITY-A midday fire on Sunday at the town’s poblacion in Capoocan, Leyte was caused by an unattended cooking, said SFO2 Leo Hernandez, fire investigator of the town’s fire bureau.
The blaze gutted down four houses whose dwellers were mostly elderlies.
Hernandez said that the fire started at the house of Eutequia Makabenta, 88, who fell asleep while cooking for lunch. She lives alone.
The fire investigator said in a telephone interview that Makabenta was saved by her niece who was also her neighbor, when she noticed a fire starting in the kitchen particularly a cooking using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Citing the account of Makabenta’s niece, the investigator continued “the elderly who was already awake that time seemed shocked while watching the growing fire so the niece immediately grabbed her aunt out of the house.”
Also left homeless were Makabenta’s sister, Clara Paz, 80, and other neighbors Timotea Nicole, 60 and Nelia Aborque, 52. All of them failed to save any belongings since the fire had already engulfed their houses that were made of light materials.
Five fire trucks including responders from the neighboring towns of Carigara, Barugo and Jaro worked together to put out the blaze.
The incident started at 12:40 pm and was put out at 2 pm with total damage cost at P1.7 million.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)
