Candle burns down house

CEBU, Philippines - A house in sitio Antonio de Padua in Upper Inayawan, Cebu City was razed to ashes after its owner forgot to put out a candle she used in praying.

Sixty-year-old Estalla Dy, a widower, said she lighted the candle yesterday morning to pray for her daughter’s success in the board examination. After praying, she went to her son’s house located right beside hers and only realized she might have forgotten to put out the candle when she saw her house already in fire.

Dy told SFO2 Roylin Maratas she first saw the flame on the area where her altar was located.

The Bureau of Fire received the alarm at 11:15 am and declared a second alarm at 11:54am. The fire was controlled 10 minutes later.

Maratas said the fire could easily immediately spread to a cabinet nearest to the altar which contained several clothes. The fire also burned down a small structure where items such as house wares for the family’s business were kept, as well as partially damaged the second floor of the house of Dy’s son, Voltaire.

Damage was pegged at P125,000.

Maratas said it was difficult for them to immediately reach the fire scene because the road was very narrow. Still, firefighters managed to stop the fire from spreading to other houses.  – THE FREEMAN