Actor survives blaze

A young actor Baron Geisler escaped injury yesterday morning in a fire that razed a house he was renting in Tandang Sora, Quezon City.

FO3 Fortunato Alde said fire broke out around 8:55 a.m. at a house located at 13 Ramax street, Ramax Subdivision in Barangay Pasong Tamo. Initial investigation revealed that the blaze originated from the ceiling of Geisler’s room on the second floor.

The young actor was lucky to have escaped since he was sound asleep as flames started to spread. Geisler’s mother and aunts, managed to wake him up before he could get trapped.

The firewall of an adjacent three-story dormitory was slightly affected by the fire, authorities said. Firemen declared a fire-out around 10:23 a.m.

Alde noted that the flames quickly spread as the old house was made of light materials.

Arson investigators said the fire was possibly caused by faulty electrical wiring.

Geisler, 21, is an ABS-CBN talent, who has starred in numerous movies and television youth-oriented shows.

In Parañaque City, a 26-year-old laborer was injured while saving his family during an early morning fire that left an estimated 70 people homeless.

Senior Fire Officer 1 Teodorico Gatchalian, arson investigator, said Ronaldo Alano sustained severe burns on various parts of his body during a blaze that broke out at the Happy Homes Association Compound, Severina 18 Subdivision, Barangay Marcelo Green.

His sister, Ronamyl, told Gatchalian that she was in an adjoining house when their mother, who was living with Ronaldo, shouted "fire" at around 5:30 a.m.

"Alano who was sleeping downstairs, also heard his mother’s cries for help and rushed to the second floor. He woke his wife and four children and guided them and his mother to safety outside," she said.

The fire began at around 5:47 a.m., reached the fourth alarm by 6:17 a.m. and was put out by 7:10 a.m.

"Based on our initial investigation, the fire was caused by an overheated electric fan positioned beside an open closet where several clothes were hanging," Gatchalian said. – With Evelyn Macairan