1 dead, 1 hurt in Tondo blaze

A man was killed while his tenant suffered severe burns when a 30-minute fire struck a residential area in Tondo, Manila past midnight yesterday.

Firefighters retrieved the charred remains of Rolando Sarmiento, 53, from the debris of his two-story house at 511 Esguerra corner Yangco streets in Tondo.

Tenant Frederick Bolusan, 39, suffered third-degree burns and is under observation at the Mary Johnston Hospital.

According to a report by arson investigator SFO1 Wilson Tana, the fire started at 1:06 a.m. at the ground floor of the house. Flames quickly engulfed the entire structure.

Sarmiento was trapped inside his room, according to the report.

Witnesses said Bolusan jumped from the second floor of the house with his clothes on fire. He was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Firefighters succeeded in preventing the fire from spreading to the nearby Yangco Elementary School.

The fire was placed under control at 1:33 a.m. after reaching the third alarm.

Damage to property was estimated at P100,000. The cause of the fire is still being determined.

Yesterday’s Tondo fire is the first fire incident in Manila in March, which is Fire Prevention Month. – Nestor Etolle