An 85-year-old differently abled person died in a fire in Lapu-Lapu City.

The fire broke out in a staff house in Sitio Balanghoy, Barangay Gun-ob in the early afternoon of September 16, 2024.

A video taken by one Pia Valcarcel Bargamento showed that her husband attempted to put out the fire using an extinguisher, but the flames were too strong to control, so they called up the fire office.

According to Peter Valcarcel, owner of the house, the fire started at the staff house where the 85-year-old mother of their helper lives.

The victim was identified to be a person with dwarfism and was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Peter said he would often remind his helper to check the woman from time to time.

Peter said he noticed on that day that the woman was alone in the staff house.

At past 2 p.m., while Pia was inside her room, she and her husband smelled something burning, followed by electric power tripping off.

The blaze had already consumed the structure before they were able to get help from firefighters.

The Lapu-Lapu City Fire District said that they received the alarm at 2:56 p.m. and controlled the fire by 3:15 p.m. The fire destroyed the two-storey staff house and burned partially two family rooms.

As of this writing, the news team is yet to get a comment from the helper.

According to FO3 Jopet Obiña, fire investigator, they are yet to determine the cause of the fire, as of posting time. 

Damage was estimated to have reached approximately P720,000.