ILOILO — An 84-year-old woman died after a fire engulfed her home in Barangay Dangulaan, Anilao, Iloilo past 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22.
Authorities identified the victim as Thelma Langreo, who lived alone in her residence.
Senior Fire Officer 3 (SFO3) Roberto Bondad, acting municipal fire marshal of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Anilao, reported that the victim’s body was totally burned.
Initial investigations point to an overheated radio plugged in next to the victim as the probable cause of the fire. Investigators believe Langreo inhaled heavy smoke from the blaze, causing her to lose consciousness and rendering her unable to escape.
Authorities said the fire spread rapidly throughout the house because the structure was made of mixed light materials and contained numerous cardboard boxes inside the victim’s room.
Bondad noted that while there were neighboring houses in the area, they were situated about 50 meters away.
Fire authorities estimated the property damage at approximately P52,000.
Bondad stated that all physical evidence gathered from the fire scene will be submitted to the crime laboratory for forensic examination to conclusively determine the exact origin of the blaze./PN
