ILOILO CITY – A 38-year-old mother and her three young children died in a fire that broke out early Wednesday morning in Barangay Pagdugue, Dumangas in Iloilo.

Fire Senior Inspector Michael B. Salvacion, Fire Marshal of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Dumangas station, identified the victims as Rhea Padios and her three children aged 7, 6, and 3. The victims were unable to go out of the burning house.

Initial information gathered from the neighbors of the victims showed the fire started in the bedroom of the victim's house and quickly spread to the living room.

He said while the house was made of bamboo and nipa, yet the family has installed steel matting on the windows to serve as protection due to alleged rampant theft in the area.

“The bedroom was about to collapse and the fire was already at the sala (living room) when our responding team arrived,” he added.

An investigation is still ongoing as to the cause of the fire.

To avoid similar incidents, Salvacion said the public should always provide an exit other than the main entrance of their house.

“Our windows should have a way out so that in case of a tragedy, they would know where to exit,” he added.

The door should also be swinging out to avoid being trapped.

The damage was initially estimated at PHP70,000. (PNA)