3 hurt in Valenzuela fire

Three people were hurt while 20 families were left homeless when a two-hour fire of still unknown origin razed a residential area in Valenzuela City yesterday morning.

Fire Officer 2 Melchor Gonzales, Valenzuela City Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) radio operator, said Richard Acevedo, 46, his wife Belinda, 43, and Mary Grace Delima, 17, suffered burns on their bodies during a fire that also destroyed some P5 million worth of property.

“Senior Fire Officer 1 Jacinto Loteyro and Senior Fire Officer 4 Arnel Ibasco of the Caloocan City BFP courageously entered the burning area and were able to rescue the trapped victims,” Gonzales said.

The woman and the girl, he said, were already suffering from suffocation when the two firemen plucked them out of their burning surroundings.

“The victims were disoriented for instead of fleeing away from the fire they even run into it,” Gonzales said.

Senior Inspector Rodolfo de Guzman, city deputy fire marshal, said the fire started from the second floor of a house rented by Melba Ancheta at Zone One Libis, East Canumay.

The local social welfare and development office personnel took care of the victims basic needs, Gonzales said.    – Jerry Botial, Pete Laude