A sexagenarian died after his house was hit by fire in Barangay Dominga, Calinan District on Monday, the third to hit the city this week,
Major Arquiomedes Wesley, the commander of Calinan Police Station, identified the fatality as Eduardo Teves, 63, a resident of Purok 8, Sitio Quibaton, Dominga.
Senior Fire Officer (SFO3) Ramil Gillado, the investigation chief of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) XI, said an unattended open flame used in cooking could be the probable cause of the fire.
Teves was drunk when the fire hit, his brother, Jonathan, told police.
Jonathan said Teves was having a drinking spree on Sunday night.
As he was intoxicated, he and his nephew assisted him in going home.
Jonathan said he asked his 23-year-old nephew to cook dinner.
The nephew cooked dinner, using firewood at the house’s makeshift dirty kitchen.
After eating, the duo left the house.
Neighbors noted the fire past midnight and called for help. The house – made of corrugated GI sheet, wood lumber, bamboo, and other light materials – was totally damaged.
Firefighters believed that the unattended burning firewood caused the fire.
The Calinan incident was the third fire to hit the city since Sunday, a week before the Fire Prevention Month.
On Sunday, a fire hit Ulas in Barangay Talomo Proper, Talomo District and in Pardo V. Tavera Street, Barangay 9-A, Poblacion District.
