Sunday, August 12, 2007 Teen’s leap saves her from fire
A 19-YEAR-OLD woman fractured her right foot after jumping from the terrace of their two-story house when fire hit C. Padilla St., Duljo-Fatima, Cebu City yesterday afternoon.
Geralyn Abello, 19, was whimpering from pain while waiting for the paramedics to arrive when reporters covering the incident saw her.
Nursing a fever, she was napping at the second floor when shouts that their house was on fire awakened her.
SFO2 Felix Romero said the fire indeed started at the Abellos’ home.
Out of panic, Abello later said, she jumped from their terrace and landed at the concrete road where passenger utility jeepneys pass by. Her fall fractured her right leg.
Paramedics on board a Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) ambulance drove Abello to a hospital.
Except for Abello, no other resident or firefighter was injured in the incident, Romero said.
The Cebu City Fire Department received the call for help at 2:20 p.m.
Considering the heat of the sun and the fact that the fire scene was densely populated, City Fire Marshal Esmael Codilla immediately raised the status to second alarm.
The fire was controlled 20 minutes after the firefighters arrived.
Water supply and road access were not a hindrance, but a curious crowd, particularly children, became a problem during the firefighting, Romero said.
Romero said nine houses were gutted by the fire. The damage property was pegged at P320,000.
As to what caused the fire, he said, he is still investigating. An electrical short circuit is one of the angles the fire investigators are considering.
Grace, older sister of Geralyn, told reporters that the fire started in her room at the second level. She, however, said she was not aware what triggered the fire because they were at the first level of the house watching a television show.
“Miulbo ra man og kalit ang kayo. Wala mi kahibawo (The fire just broke out all of a sudden. We don’t know what started it),” Grace said. (JST)
