A 15-year-old Grade 10 student, identified as Hechanova, tragically lost his life in a fire that engulfed residential houses in Barangay Blumentritt, Murcia, Negros Occidental, early morning of Saturday, February 17, 2024.
Hechanova initially escaped the flames but tragically perished after heroically returning inside to retrieve his cellphone and money sent by his overseas Filipino worker mother. His body was later found in the bathroom.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Murcia confirmed that three houses were completely destroyed, while another sustained partial damage.
The fire that started around 2:20 AM from the house of Justiniano Fernandez was declared under control an hour later.
Responding to accusations of a delayed response, the BFP in Murcia clarified that their records show a swift three-minute travel time from receiving a walk-in report shortly after 2:00 AM.
Fire Officer 2 Reymar Banaglorioso, chief of the Intelligence and Investigation Unit, firmly denied allegations of tardiness and inadequate preparedness. He emphasized that their fire hose, readily available just 50 feet away, was immediately deployed to combat the flames.
While acknowledging concerns expressed by local residents, Banaglorioso assured them of the BFP’s prompt response and commitment to fire safety.
