BFP sees ‘unusual point of origin’ in Dumangas fire

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Bureau of Fire Protection 6 (BFP-6) will dig further into the conflagration in Dumangas, Iloilo that killed a teacher and her three young children.

Fire Senior Superintendent Jerry Candido, BFP-6 regional director, said investigators unearthed an unusual point of origin that led to the conflagration early morning of November 10.

The burnt bodies of Rhea Padios, 38, her son Hienz Michael, 7, and daughters Hera Earl, 6, and Hailey Eslestine, 3, were found inside their house at Barangay Pagdugue.

Candido has declined to use the phrase “foul play” pending scientific evidence to show that the fire was intentional.

In coming up with such inference, Candido, who personally went to the scene on Thursday, said he discovered that the wood flooring bridge at the bedroom appeared to be the “origin of fire.”

On Wednesday, investigators from Dumangas Fire Station initially learned that the fire’s point of origin was the wall portion that separated the living room and bedroom.

That portion, he said, is elevated by at least one meter from the living room.

Candido conducted a walkthrough of the structure.

“From the living room, you make three steps going to the study room. From there, you turn left to the bedroom, which is elevated by around a meter. The house is double walled with langkob (bamboo cut into half) on the outside and marine plywood inside. The elevated portion of the portion is made of half-inch marine plywood. The roof is made of galvanized iron sheet with plywood ceiling while the window is secured by a steel matting. Underneath the bedroom, you could be unobstructed because there was no barrier,” Candido described the area.

“At the wall, our investigators said there was an electrical installation nga may evidence of short circuit. But we also found out that the bridge of the floor at the portion that divides the bedroom and study room, the most damaged portion is not wall but the floor,” he noted.

“So the next question, which part of the floor is the most damaged? As we saw it, the only thing that was left was the bridge that connects the floor. The wall in that area is totally burned. The most damaged part is the portion below the bridge and not the portion that was inside the house,” he said.

Candido said it is very unusual “because if it’s electrical installation, the point of origin should be on the top of the floor. The damage of the fortress should be on the top part surface and not underneath.”

However, the physical evidence is very clear that the most damaged part is below that bridge.

“Again, that’s very unusual. We are now trying to establish and to find what are the possible sources of ignition underneath,” he said.

But they found no combustible elements that could spark an ignition.

He noted that in the other parts of the house, some portions of the flooring were not totally burned.

“Kung sa sulod balay naghalin, dapat ubos na ang flooring,” he said.

Could a katol (mosquito coil), cigarettes, or lighted candle triggered the fire. “It’s possible. However, again, the most damaged part was the top of the floor.”

Candido said they are trying to avoid using foul play “as long as we couldn’t recover evidences that the source of ignition is under the bedroom.”

Even if it’s unusual, there’s always a possibility that it’s accidental, he said.

“However, it’s very remote” he said adding that as investigators, they should consider every angle.

AUTOPSY

As of now, the BFP is urging the family to request a post-mortem examination on the cadavers.

Candido said that they are coordinating with Rhea’s sibling and parents.

Her husband, a seafarer, was in Manila to process his papers to return to work when the incident happened.

“I’m also a father. I understand the feeling. We will give him time to grieve,” he said.

It can be noted that the local BFP received the fire call around 4:45 a.m. of Wednesday.

But residents surmised that the fire could have erupted around 4:30 a.m.

When fire responders arrived five minutes after the call, the lone bedroom of the single story house already collapsed.

At that time, fire was still engulfing the living room and the kitchen.

Firemen declared fire out at 5:19 a.m.

When they checked, all bodies were lumped together inside the room.

It was theorized that the family of four was sleeping at the double-deck bed when the conflagration occurred.

Based on the responders’ observation, the mother could have attempted to open the steel matting window to escape the fire.