BACOLOD CITY – A one-year-old girl was killed and her six-year-old sister was injured in a fire triggered by an unattended lighted candle in their house in Purok Active, Barangay Mandalagan, this city, on Saturday night, May 24.
A one-year-old girl was killed and her six-year-old sister was injured in a fire triggered by an unattended lighted candle in Barangay Mandalagan, Bacolod City on Saturday night, May 24. (Photo courtesy of Bacolod City Fire Station)
Fire Supt. Jenny Mae Masip, city fire marshal, said in a press briefing on Sunday morning, May 25, that the victims’ teenage siblings left their sisters with a lighted candle placed on top of a plastic storage cabinet after their solar light failed to charge due to rainfall.
Masip said the victims’ older siblings left their house and attended a purok fiesta, while their mother was away working.
An hour later, a fire broke out, totally destroying their house at 11:32 p.m.
The injured victim sustained burns in her right, left arms, and upper back, as well as superficial burns in her forehead and nose. She is recuperating in a hospital.
Neighbors helped put out the fire through a bucket relay. Fire out was declared at 11:37 p.m. Damage to property was pegged at P4,000.
This was the second fire with reported casualties here in the past days.
The first was in Purok Lison, Barangay 1 on May 20. Two siblings aged six and eight died. A lighted candle triggered the fire following a power outage.
Authorities reminded the public to never leave their house or children with a lighted candle to avoid such tragedies.