BY JEAN FERNANDO
A three year-old boy died while a fire volunteer was injured during a fire that hit a residential area in Las Pinas City, Monday night.
Supt. Arthur Sawate, Las Pinas City Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) chief, said the victim, Steven Telmo, was trapped inside their burning house at Lopez Compound, Barangay Daniel Fajardo in Las Pinas City.
Reports showed that Steven and his elder brother were left to the care of their grandmother when their mother went out of the house to buy diapers at a nearby store.
A fire later broke out in the house of their neighbor, Lorie Flores, at about 9:36 p.m..
The victim’s grandmother claimed that she had just stepped out of the bathroom when she saw thick smoke already billowing all over their house.
Since she could no longer go to the second floor to get her grandsons, the grandmother went out of the house and asked for assistance to save Steven and his brother who were trapped inside the room.
A fire volunteer managed to save the older boy but not the victim.
The fire volunteer also suffered burns and bruises and was brought to the Las Pinas District Hospital for treatment.
Sawate said a lighted candle caused the fire.
The blaze was placed under control at about 10:37 p.m., he added.
The BFP said that 27 houses were burned during the incident. Cost of damage was placed at P200,000. (Jean Fernando)
