GENERAL SANTOS CITY — A 69-year-old man was killed in a pre-dawn fire Monday that hit their home in a village here.
Sr. Fire Officer 1 Arturo Peligo, arson investigator of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) station here, said victim Tito Diomedes Guipo died after he was trapped inside their burning house on Villareal Street, Barangay Lagao at past 3 a.m.
Citing their investigation, he said the fire reportedly started at the victim’s room and rapidly spread to other portions of the Guipo residence.
He said they are specifically looking at an unattended lighted candle as the possible cause of the fire.
Guipo’s wife Merlia admitted that her husband had a habit of lighting a candle before dawn for his daily prayers.
“He (Tito) had difficulty walking so he failed to come out of his room in time and was eventually trapped,” he said in a radio interview, noting accounts from family members.
He said the victim reportedly failed to immediately call for help from other members of the household and the fire was already raging when they were awakened from it.
Peligo said they were able to immediately respond to the scene after the initial fire call but the fire was then already engulfing most of the house when they arrived.
He said they are still assessing the damage caused by the fire, the second incident in two days here.
A fire also gutted down a rented housing unit in Phase 6, Dona Soledad Subdivision in Barangay Apopong at around 3:43 a.m. Sunday.
BFP said no one was inside the house during the incident, which left an estimated damage of around P250,000. (PNA)
