Tipolo, Mandaue fire; Father tried to save his family

CEBU, Philippines — Until the very end, 34-year-old Antonio Paz still did his best to save his family from danger by trying to force open the emergency exit door of the lumber company where he has worked for years.

Interestingly, he was also the one who locked the same door for good after he built his own family in the bunkhouse constructed beside the lumber company.

He closed it to prevent the dust from the lumber company from getting into their home.

"Naay nakit-an nga habol. Naa'y possibility nga iyaha gi-try ug open ang exit area (sa kumpanya).  Posible ang kayo didto gikan sa exit area sa balay. Nakit-an ang body ni Antonio didto sa emergency exit sa kumpanya," Senior Fire Officer 3 Arnold Lao, chief of operations of Mandaue City Fire Station (MCFS) said.

Lao said Antonio may have possibly struggled to smash the small exit door of the company to get his family out when the fire spread around their bunkhouse.

Aside from Antonio, his 32-year-old wife, Maricel, and their 10-year-old son, Ancel Jay, also died in the fire that erupted Thursday dawn.  The charred bodies of Maricel and Ancel Jay were allegedly found hugging, while Antonio’s remains were found near the company’s exit door.

Meanwhile, the MCFS has yet to determine the exact cause of the fire in Barangay Tipolo, Mandaue City.

Lao said wire samples found in the kitchen area in the house of 34-year-old Antonio Paz were collected and will be sent to Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) in Manila to determine the cause of the fire.

They are also coordinating with the personnel of the Scene of the Crime Operations who conducted an investigation of the bodies of the victims so that their results will match the findings of MCFS.

The city's fire department received the alarm at 4:10 a.m.   It was declared under control at 4:15 a.m.

"Wala ni siya'y kontra. Wala sad daw kadungog mga kauban (sa trabaho) nga nag-away sila sa wife," he said.

As for the initial findings, Lao said the fire may have started from the main door of Antonio's bunkhouse and the family got suffocated.

"Namatay ang family due to suffocation (according sa atong initial findings)," Lao said.

Lao said the company where Antonio worked as a company driver will provide burial assistance to the Paz family.

Lao added that some dogs in the area were the ones who alarmed their owners about the incident.

Three Chihuahuas and a small stray dog reportedly woke their owners up, after they noticed that the fire erupted at the bunkhouse of the Pazes.

"Dako ang tabang nila kay kung without sa (mga) Chihuahuas, wala gyud sila kahibaw nga dunay sitwasyon sa ilahang palibot. Nakatawag sila og tabang. Nitabang dayon ang mga silingan," Lao said.

The Mandaue City government, through its City Social Welfare Services Office, has pledged to transport the remains of the Paz family to Negros, their hometown.

The estimated cost of the fire incident was pegged at P20,000 worth of structural damages. (FREEMAN)