TEN people, including children, died in separate fires, both believed caused by untended lighted candles in Tigaon town in Camarines Sur and Caloocan City on Sunday night and early morning yesterday.
One of the fires broke out at around 11 p.m. at the second floor of an apartment in Zone 3, Barangay Vinagre in Tigaon.
Initial investigation said the fire was caused by a lighted candle that may have fallen onto a pile of clothes while the victims were asleep. Tigaon and many parts of the province are still without electricity due to havoc caused by super Typhoon Rolly.
The fatalities were members of a family that just moved into the apartment a week ago, police said.
The fatalities were Jason, 26; Angelica, 23; John Wayne, 15, Arc Jason, three, all surnamed Verdejo; Gerarld Lee, 13, Leanna Ysabel and Aleah Kristina, all surnamed Cea.
In Caloocan City, a fire gutted down a residence in Pangarap Village in Barangay 182 at around 2 a.m. yesterday that led to the deaths of Beatris Oralio Alegria, 64; her husband, Vicente, 65; and their three-year-old granddaughter Althea Oralio.
Fire investigators said two family members who went out to eat returned to see their house burned to the ground.
Caloocan City fire chief Supt. Aristotle Bañaga said the fire was put out 40 minutes later.
“They have no electricity and they’re using candles. That (lighted candles) is what we are looking into as the probable cause of the fire,” said Bañaga.
