Doctor injured in dawn fire

CEBU, Philippines - A doctor was injured when a two-minute fire gutted the second floor of his house on Visitacion St., Barangay Sambag II, Cebu City yesterday dawn.

Rondell Lo sustained first degree burns in his back while trying to save some of his belongings during the blaze.

The fire department pegged the damage at P150,000.

Cebu City Fire Marshall Supt. Aderson Comar said they are still determining the cause of the fire but he suspects it was because of electrical misuse.

Initial investigation revealed that the fire started at a bedroom at the second floor, next to Lo’s room.

No one was using the room during when the fire broke out.

Lo’s grandmother, Bet Ong, and sisters Anita and Jovita Lo, were unharmed but had to be sent to a hospital for check up.

Comar said the house was made of concrete and light materials but the second floor was mostly made of wood.

The fire department received the alarm at 4 am.

Firemen rushed to the scene and controlled the fire in two minutes.

The firewall prevented the blaze from spreading to the neighboring structures.

Sambag II Barangay Captain Carl Belarmino said Lo is a medical doctor who has been living with her grandmother and sisters in the barangay for several years.

“They have been living there for several years. Most of their relatives are living abroad,” Belarmino said.

He added the grandmother is already about 100 years old.

 Belarmino said he also dispatched the barangay fire truck to help control the fire. — THE FREEMAN