Bedridden elderly woman dies, sister injured in Bago City fire

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A fire in Hacienda Luvina, Purok Malipayon, Barangay Bacong, Bago City, Negros Occidental claimed the life of a 72-year-old bedridden woman last Thursday, while her sister sustained injuries.

Fire Officer 2 (FO2) Renefred Atadora, an arson investigator with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Ma-ao substation, identified the deceased as Lurencia Buenaflor.

Atadora reported that the fire is believed to have started in one of the rooms of the house, which was constructed from a combination of concrete and lighter materials, around 10 a.m. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Five other members of the household, including Buenaflor’s brother-in-law who uses a wheelchair, were successfully rescued.

Buenaflor’s 58-year-old sister attempted to save her from the bedroom, but was overcome by the rapidly spreading flames and was unable to re-enter the house, Atadora noted.

The sister suffered minor burns and has since been discharged from the hospital.

The fire was extinguished at 10:46 a.m., leaving an estimated P1.2 million in damages, according to Atadora.

Senior Inspector Roberto Tamayo Jr., the acting city fire marshal, extended his deepest condolences to the bereaved family.

The tragedy occurred just one day before the BFP’s commencement of Fire Prevention Month this March.

Tamayo acknowledged that the BFP made every effort to respond promptly, but the distance from the fire scene to the sub-station and the central fire station resulted in a delayed arrival.

He confirmed that two additional fire trucks were dispatched to support the firefighting efforts.