Bedridden grandma dies in Talisay fire

CEBU, Philippines —  A 71-year-old bedridden woman died after being trapped inside her house during a third-alarm fire that razed around 30 houses in a residential area in Sitio Alegre, Barangay Bulacao, Talisay City yesterday morning, March 26.

The fatality was identified as Rebecca Bacalan, who was bedridden due to an underlying illness.

According to Fire Officer 1 Jerome Dolauta, an investigator of the Talisay City Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bacalan was found lifeless, severely burned, and covered with debris.

“Napaig na gyud tibuok lawas (ug) nadat-ugan kay [natagak] ang mga sin,” he told THE FREEMAN.

He said the victim's body was recovered by personnel from the BFP and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and brought to a funeral home in Talisay City.

Dolauta also revealed that the victim was paralyzed due to a stroke. She was being cared for by her grandson, who has not yet been identified. When the fire broke out, the grandson allegedly tried to save his grandmother but was unable to do so since the fire had already escalated.

“Gi-aksyonan to og rescue unya dile naman madala kay sa gawas, dako naman ang kayo unya bug-at ang iyang lola kay bedridden na,” he said.

“Unya gipit na kaayo ang agianan kay dako na kaayo ang kayo sa gawas. Mao to, naniguro nalang siya og iyaha,” he added.

Based on the initial investigation, the fire started inside an abandoned house owned by a certain Henry Mabalcon at around 11:11 a.m.

The blaze was then raised to first alarm status by 11:15 a.m., second alarm at 11:20 a.m., and immediately escalated to third alarm around 11:36 a.m.

By 11:52 a.m., fire authorities placed the fire under control and later declared it fully extinguished at 12:02 p.m.—after almost an hour of firefighting efforts.

The initial investigation revealed that approximately 30 houses were destroyed, half of which were made of concrete while the rest were made of light materials.

Dolauta also confirmed that the fire caused an estimated P450,000 worth of structural damage.

Authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the fire since the investigation is still ongoing.

However, Dolauta said that the house where the fire started was still using electricity even though it was abandoned.

“Katu nga balay bisan abandoned siya, naa siyay kuryente kay permi ra ga siga (ug) duaw-duawon ra daw sa tag-iya panagsa. Ang suga didto ga siga 24 hours,” he said.

The fire investigator also admitted that the distance and the narrow paths leading to the fire scene posed a challenge in their operation yesterday.

Nevertheless, the fire was quickly extinguished with the help of several responding fire trucks from neighboring cities and towns, including Cebu City, Minglanilla, Naga City, Mandaue City, and Lapu-Lapu City. (CEBU NEWS)