Senior citizen perished in fire, husband injured

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – A 79-year-old woman was killed after she stayed behind, prioritizing her husband’s safety, following a fire that hit their house in Purok Maanyag 2, Barangay Alijis here on Wednesday.

Fire Insp. Jemarie Tapiru, deputy city fire marshal, identified the fatality as Rosa Magbanua.

Wounded was her husband, Jose, 62.

Tapiru said the fire initially broke out at 9:45 p.m., but residents only sought assistance from authorities at 10:04 p.m., speculating that they may have panicked.

Tapiru said the fire started from the bedroom of a house owned by Flordeliza and occupied by her son.

She added that lithium batteries from a powerbank exploded due to internal failure, which triggered the fire.

Tapiru said the elderly couple was already sleeping when Jose noticed a smoke beside their room.

He told his wife to get out of their room to escape through the back part, but her wife told him to leave her behind and to ensure his safety because she was already too old and she felt like it’s her time already.

Firefighters saw Rosa’s body in the bedroom. Her husband was injured from second-degree burns in the back of his neck.

Two houses were partially damaged, and four homes were totally damaged, leaving PHP35,000 worth of damaged. Fire out was declared at 10:21 p.m., affecting six families or 15 individuals.

Tapiru said this is the first casualty reported here for this year.

Mayor Greg Gasataya, in a statement, acknowleged the selfless act of Rosa, ensuring her husband reached safety before she tragically succumbed to the blaze.

He said the city government views this loss as a profound tragedy, extending their sincerest sympathies to the victims, especially to the bereaved family.

Gasataya assured them that the city stands ready to provide necessary support during this period of grief and recovery.

He urged the public to remain vigilant in keeping their homes and families safe.

Meanwhile, another fire incident occurred early Thursday morning, destroying two houses and two sari-sari stores in Purok Magnolia, 16th Lacson St., Barangay 7 here at 2:09 a.m.

Three families or 18 individuals were displaced, leaving PHP975,000 worth of damage.

Tapiru said the fire was caused by electrical ignition due to arcing from one of the sari-sari stores.

She said the incident was only reported to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Bacolod nine minutes after the fire broke out at 2 a.m. No casualty was reported. Fire out was declared at 2:24 a.m.