Paralyzed man dies in fire

A man died in a fire that broke out in Sitio San Miguel, Barangay Lorega San Miguel in Cebu City Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 14.

Fire departments received the alarm at 2:58 p.m. and they immediately raised the incident to second alarm at 3:01 p.m. Seven minutes later, the fire was raised to third alarm, which means that the neighboring fire stations were expected to respond to the fire incident.

The fire was eventually controlled at 3:27 p.m.

It was reported that the fire started at the house of Gaudencia Recolcol. But firemen are still investigating the cause of the fire.

Around 30 houses were destroyed, estimated to have a value of about P600,000.

Fire Chief Insp. Noel Ababon, Bureau of Fire Protection investigator, said the fire traveled quickly because the houses are situated close to one another and they were made of light materials.

A paralyzed man died in the fire as his relatives failed to save him.

The body of Amado Maglinte, 52, was found inside the house.

Maglinte’s grandson, Dindo Angga, said that when the fire got more intense in the neighboring houses, he and some relatives saved a cousin, Maglinte’s granddaughter.

“There were three of us who tried to save lolo because he didn’t go down,” Angga said in Bisaya. “When I tried to lift him, I couldn’t do it because he was too heavy so I left him because it was already too hot.”

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella rushed to the area and promised that the Cebu City Government would help the survivors especially Maglinte’s family.

Residents of the neighboring sitio found an opportunity to steal bread from a bakery that was left unmanned during the fire. They were reprimanded though.

A store also found all its roasted chicken charred from the fire.