Authorities found firecrackers inside a house that caught on fire in Quezon City on Monday.
In Katrina Son’s Saksi report, a house was covered with smoke from the fire that started before noon in Barangay Paltok.
Some residents said they heard fireworks and saw that the house was burning.
“Nung nagpuputukan, nagtakbuhan na kami agad amoy sunog na amoy pulbura na eh,” said resident Biboy Fernando.
(We ran when we heard the explosion and we could smell the smoke and gunpowder.)
He added that residents knew no one lived in the house, which was being used for storage.
“Taga rito lang po kami sa likod dyan (We lived at the back of the house),” Fernando said.
The fire, which reached the First Alarm, was declared out at 12:24 p.m.
“May nakuha pong mga piccolo nandun sa loob hanggang ngayon nagpuputukan pa nga sa loob yung mga piccolo bale pagdating ko kase nagpuputukan na eh,” said Henry Bobier, Barangay Paltok police security officer.
(They retrieved piccolo firecrackers inside. It was still setting off when firefighters arrived.)
According to the initial investigation of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the blaze started on the first floor.
“Pagka apula po ng sunog nung narinig po namin mga nagpuputukan dun lang po kami nag ano onting kalma lang at inalam kung ano yung nilalaman ng bahay. Meron po kaming nakita mga naka imbak na konting paputok,” said Senior Inspector Rodrigo Delos Santos of BFP Station 1 Quezon City.
(After we extinguished the fire, we heard the firecrackers and inspected the house. We found some of it being stored there.)
The owner of the house has yet to make a statement.
The BFP also urged the public to avoid buying or selling banned firecrackers.
—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
