111-year-old woman survives QC house fire

A 111-year-old woman escaped a fire that burned down her house in Barangay PhilAm, Quezon City, on early Monday morning.

In a “24 Oras” report by James Agustin, the woman was unable to save any belongings from the house but was extremely grateful to have survived the incident that started at around 5 a.m.

“I played the piano early for my parents who have died, and then all of a sudden I heard an explosion in the room. When I entered the room, it was already smoking, so I rushed to the barangay to ask for help,” said Ma. Cecilia Hilado Peronilla, the owner of the gutted residence.

The report said the fire quickly spread through the home because of its wooden construction.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) raised the fire to first alarm and deployed 19 fire trucks to extinguish the blaze.

According to Bobby Cajudo, a construction worker who was sleeping in a barracks beside the house, the fire was already large by the time he woke up.

“Nang magising ho ako nung madaling-araw, parang may naglalaglagan na mga bagay tapos nung lumabas ako sa barracks ko, nakita ko malaki na 'yung sunog dito sa malaking bahay,” Cajudo recounted.

(When I woke up early in the morning, it sounded like things were falling. Then when I stepped outside my barracks, I saw that the fire was already huge in the main house.)

Two houses were destroyed in the incident, according to the BFP. The fire was put out after more than an hour. —Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/RF, GMA News