Firefighter survives fall from burning building

A male fire volunteer survived a fall from the fourth floor of a burning building in Escolta, Manila last Friday.

Arson investigators identified the firefighter as Troy Soriano, a member of a fire volunteer brigade of Tangos, Navotas. He is under observation at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center due to multiple broken bones and a large wound on his right leg.

SF02 Wilson Tana said Soriano miscalculated his steps while putting out the fire at the fourth floor of the BPI building at the corner of Plaza Lacson and Escolta street. Firefighters immediately rushed Soriano to the hospital. There were reports that another firefighter, identified as Mariano Flordeliza, was also hurt by flying embers.

The fire reportedly started at the building’s second floor, used by a film company as a warehouse, at around 4 p.m. Employees, including a pregnant woman, were seen using the ladderized fire escape to get out of the burning building.

The fire reached the fifth alarm before it was placed under control after two hours.

Damage to property was initially placed at P200,000, while the cause of the fire is still being investigated.  – Nestor Etolle