In Quezon City, a five-year-old girl died while five others were hurt in a fire that hit a squatter’s colony under a bridge along Congressional Avenue in Quezon City last Friday.
Fire Officer 3 Fortunato Alde identified the fatality as Abigail Gregorio. She failed to make it to safety as flames caught up with her while climbing the improvised ladder to the top of the bridge.
Injured were Eduardo Dillones, 50, and his son Albert, 21; siblings Rodel, 4, and Jenny Galacgac, 3; and a still unidentified firefighter from the Chinese volunteer brigade.
They suffered minor burns in the body and were immediately given treatment inside an ambulance on stand-by.
Some 100 families were left homeless as 50 houses were razed by the fire.
Investigation showed that the fire broke out from the house of the Dillones family located under the Pugad Lawin Bridge along Congressional Avenue around 11:10 p.m.
The fire originated from the kitchen of the house and immediately spread to other houses.
Alde said responding firemen had difficulty getting to the houses under the bridge. The fire lasted until 2:08 a.m. yesterday.
Arson probers are still trying to determine the cause of the blaze.
Alde said that they received initial reports that the mother, Julie Dillones, was cooking at the time but left the stove unattended. Another witness claimed a candle left near the kitchen was to blame.
Fire officers identified the fatality as Felicita Pascua, of Unit 8854 located at the corner of Sampaloc and Estrella streets.
She was trapped inside the unit during the two-hour fire at the eight-door apartment building.
Arson prober SFO1 Samuel Guzman said Pascua was helping her son, Melanio, 29, get out of the burning apartment. The son sustained burns on his left foot.
Guzman said the fire started inside the Pascuas’ unit at around 12:05 a.m. It was declared out two hours later.
"The apartment is owned by Pascua’s sister but the unit had been rented to her nephew, Rafael, who, at that time, left to buy food at a nearby store," Guzman said.
He said the elder Pascua was trapped and died of suffocation. "Because of her age, she was not able to go out in time."
Mary Jane Ramoso, who lives in the next unit told probers the fire started following an explosion from the Pascuas’ unit. Ramoso’s Kia Pride, which was parked in front of the unit, was also damaged.
FO2 Artemio Villamino said the fire started at 5:54 p.m. and reached the general alarm 30 minutes later. It was declared out at 12:19 a.m.
"Our trucks had a hard time going to the area because of the heavy traffic. The fire started during the rush hour when people were on their way home," he said.
Villamino said witnesses heard an explosion from the kitchen of one of the houses. "It may have been a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tank."
No death was reported in the incident. A village resident, identified as Bernard Aninacion, 25, was hurt.
President Arroyo ordered yesterday the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), headed by Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita, to provide assistance to some 1,000 families left homeless by the blaze.
She asked the NDCC to help the Parañaque government in relief and rehabilitation efforts.
"The victims must be given food, water and temporary shelter," Mrs. Arroyo said.
The local government started providing free meals and distributing clothes early yesterday. Mayor Joey Marquez will also provide assistance for the rebuilding of houses.
Fire Inspector Rodel Flacino was hit by broken glass and was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Arson investigation showed that the fire hit four stalls selling cellular phones at the Electronic Center, formerly Globe Center, located at the corner of Raon street and Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo.
Probers said the blaze started at the LPO stall, but employees there could not say what caused the blaze.
Witnesses said the fire broke out at around 9:18 a.m. and was contained at around 11:48 a.m.
At least P150,000 worth of mobile phones and accessories were destroyed in the fire that lasted for more than two hours.
Binay expressed concern over the increase in fire incidents and casualties in the city last year. He directed barangay officials to cooperate and recruit fire volunteers from residents.
A report presented by Fire Department chief Superintendent Arsenio Tabajonda Jr., showed that fire incidents increased by almost 70 percent last year from 2002.
Fire caused by electrical connections doubled while minor fires increased by 45 percent.
Last year, 10 fatalities and 13 injuries were reported. There were only three fatalities in 2002.
Cost of fire damage also increased from P26 million to P39 million.
However, efforts to curb rubbish and grass fires have been effective.
Garbage fires decreased by 63 percent while grass fires were down by almost 30 percent.
The fire department, which has 19 fire- trucks, has conducted drills in at least 60 business establishments in the city. Fire drills in residential areas would be conducted starting tomorrow.
Tabajonda said they would focus on fire-prone areas, identified as Laperal Compound in Guadalupe Viejo, Macda Compound in Cembo, H. Santos street Tejeros and Pateros streets in Valenzuela. He said they would also conduct awareness campaign in these areas. — With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Marichu Villanueva