Elderly woman hurt in Merville fire

A 70-year-old woman was hurt when a fire hit her bungalow in Merville Park Subdivision, Parañaque City the other day.

Senior Fire Officer 1 Teodorico Gatchalian said Isabel de la Riva, was given first aid at the Commcare Clinic before she was transferred to a nearby hospital.

She was inside her room when the incident happened.

"They wanted to make sure that she did not suffer any shock or trauma because of the fire," Gatchalian said.

Initial investigation showed the fire broke out at around 5:40 p.m. last June 9. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze after an hour and 20 minutes later. They declared a fireout by 7 p.m.

Senior Fire Officer 1 Ferdinand Caoayan said the fire started at the garage of the bungalow located on a 500-square meter lot at 40 Amsterdam street corner Washington street, Merville Park Subdivision.

Gatchalian estimated the cost of fire to reach almost P7 million because "all of the family’s belongings were destroyed."

"They were unable to salvage anything. There were also expensive paintings in the house," he said.

De la Riva’s cook Riza Villaroza, 22, was in the kitchen when she smelled smoke coming from the garage.

When she approached the garage, she saw the fire was coming from a pile of old books and clothes.

"They had been collecting old stuff and stacking them in the garage in the last six months for a garage sale," Gatchalian said. – Evelyn Macairan