She only wanted to save her elder brother from their burning house but her heroic deed caused her untimely death.

Wennie Villa, 8, was already out of their burning house with her elder sister Wila Mae, 10 and their father Wilfredo, 42, when she remembered that her elder brother Wilson, 13, was still sleeping at their residence at the Employees Villas in Brgy. Brgy. Batuan, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental at about 8 p.m.Tuesday, La Carlota City Bureau of Fire Protection officer in charge Senior Insp. Rodel Legaspi, said.

Wennie rushed back into house, woke her brother up and went towards the kitchen to escape, but they were trapped, Legaspi said.

Wilfredo was rescued by firefighters and was rushed to the Don Salvador Benedicto Memorial Hospital in La Carlota with second degree burns and later transferred to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.

But Wennie did not survive, Legaspi said.

Witnesses claimed they saw the fire emanating from the dirty kitchen area of the house.

Investigation showed that the fire must have been caused by a live ember rekindled by strong winds.

Legaspi said the fire easily spread because the wall and the ceiling of the dirty kitchen of the house were made of bamboo covered with cellophane.

The fire put out at about 9:02 p.m. but destroyed P250,000 to P300,000 in properties.*APN

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