Ma, 3 sons killed in burning home

A mother and her three sons were killed after they were trapped by fire inside their makeshift shelter located at a vacant compound in Quezon City the other night.

Fire Officer 3 Fortunato Alde identified the fatalities as Rubelia Leonardo, 39, and her sons Wilson, 7; Warren, 6; and William, 3, all of 16 Pamilara street former Tueyan street in Barangay Tatalon.

The woman’s husband Willy, 38; and their youngest son Wendell, 2, survived the blaze. Initial investigation disclosed that the fire broke out around 9:35 p.m. from the sala of the house. The blaze immediately spread since the house was made of wood.

Firemen declared a fire-out at about 10:05 p.m. "The mother tried to rescue her sons, but failed because of the flames. When the fire was put out, we found the charred body of the mother on top of her three children whom she was trying to protect," Alde said.

The husband told investigators that a kerosene lamp placed on top of a table behind the curtains may have fallen, resulting in the blaze. He claimed that his wife and their children were sound asleep at the time.

The household’s electricity was cut off a month ago, Alde noted.

When fire broke out, the father grabbed their youngest son, who was sleeping beside him, and tossed the child out of the house. When he went back to save his wife and other sons, he was blocked by the flames.

More Hydrants

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has signed into law a resolution authorizing city barangay officials to acquire and install fire hydrants in densely populated areas.

Belmonte said the need for fire hydrants in the populated areas was urgent and necessary since majority of the areas are inaccessible to firetrucks due to narrow access roads.

The measure, authored by Councilor Julian Coseteng, was passed by the Quezon City Council last Jan. 27, 2004.

Belmonte has been granting financial assistance to fire victims in an effort to alleviate their misery. To date, the city government has given a total of P2.87 million in financial assistance to families of fire victims last year.

The mayor, through the Social Service Development Department (SSDD), has been conducting regular disaster preparedness seminars to raise public consciousness on what to do during calamities.

Belmonte has also urged the Quirino Memorial Medical Center to put up a burn unit to provide medical treatment for fire victims.

Fire Trap Check

In Las Piñas City, a composite team will be mobilized to conduct inspection of all buildings and commercial establishments in the city to ensure they strictly comply with the provisions of the building code.

The move is in compliance with the order of Mayor Vergel Aguilar as part of the fire prevention measures adopted by the city in line with the Fire Prevention Month.

The team will be composed of representatives from the engineering, fire and building safety and the permits and license offices. They will conduct routine inspections to check if building owners comply with the building code, particularly the safety requirements.

The inspectors will also check on residences, particularly in squatter areas, for illegal electrical connections, which has been tagged as leading cause of fire incidents.

At the same time, Aguilar aired an appeal to homeowners’ associations for their cooperation in reporting any illegal connections, which could be a possible cause of fire in their respective jurisdiction.

Barangay officials will be mobilized to make available water containers at a particular area where residents could avail in case of fire or any emergency case. Residents are also reminded to take all necessary measures in fire prevention and safety.

Aguilar also asked the public and residents to dial the fire department hotline 8731948 in case of fire or the police department hotline 166 for immediate response.

"We have to make sure that areas, buildings or any commercial establishment where most people converge, are safe and free of any threat, particularly of fire, that may cause unnecessary loss of lives," Aguilar explained.