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Fire Started by a Cigarette
Claims Three Lives
Police in Guanacaste are
theorizing that a lit cigarette
may have been the cause of a
fire that claimed the lives of
three people - the entire family
- in the small town of
Filadelfia on Tuesday.
Yendry Medrano, an 18 year old
Costa Rican and her 20 year old
Nicaraguan husband, Walter
Urbina and their 2 year old
child, died in the early morning
fire when their humble home
became a mortal trap.
A lock from inside the home
stopped the couple from getting
our and hampered neigbours and
emergency crews from getting to
them in time.
The fire spread quickly and
damaged two adjoining homes,
which were able to get out in
time.
Investigators say they could not
find any evidence of an
electrical short circuit, as it
was first thought, and according
to friends of the couple, Urbina
smoked a lot and could have
accidentally caused the fire
when he got early to get ready
for work.
Costa Ricans still have the old
habit of locking their doors
from the inside in such a way
that it will hamper possible
intruders, but at the same time,
trapping those without a key on
the inside. In an emergency not
finding the key can be lethal.
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