A 15-YEAR-OLD boy with a disability (PWD) was charred to death after their house caught fire around 1:35 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Sitio Calin-ay, Barangay Poblacion, Samboan, Cebu.
The victim, Ronel, who was mentally ill and had difficulty walking, was already burnt beyond recognition when retrieved by members of the fire department and police.
Fire Officer 1 Joseph Marvin Eluna, the fire investigator of Samboan who was interviewed by SunStar Superbalita Cebu, said the victim was left alone in the house when the fire broke out.
The father, Ronny, had left the house early to work as a helper.
Meanwhile, the mother, Belen, disclosed that she had been cooking lunch in their kitchen earlier that day. The wooden kitchen was located at the back of the house. She left the house afterward to earn extra income by helping out a neighbor, but she forgot to extinguish the glowing embers in the wood-fired stove (abuhan).
"There were still live embers when she left. They believe the wind fanned the embers, which then spread to the wooden structures," Eluna added.
When the fire broke out, it rapidly engulfed the entire house.
Eluna pointed out that the victim might have tried to escape during the fire, as his charred remains were discovered near the doorway. However, because he had difficulty walking, the flames caught up with him, and he was consumed by the fire.
The area is located two kilometers away from the main road. In fact, the firefighters were only alerted to the incident when a walk-in informant personally reported the fire at the station. As a result, by the time they arrived, they could no longer save the victim.
Investigating authorities have declared the incident an accident. The fire, which destroyed the house made of light materials, left an estimated P5,000 worth of damage. (GPL)
