Monday, December 31, 2007 Matanao market fire razes P5-M property
A FIRE razed down more than 30 stalls inside the new public market in Matanao, Davao del Sur past midnight Sunday. Reports gathered by Sun.Star Superbalita from the senior fire officer Alberto Martel of the Bureau of Fire Protection showed the incident happened at around 3:15 a.m.
The fire reportedly started at a videoke house owned by one Nanette Lacambo, located inside the public market.
A team of six firefighting groups from the neighboring towns of Bansalan, Digos City, Sta. Cruz, Magsaysay, and from Matanao struggled to put out the blaze for more than an hour. The fire gutted down all the stalls in the market and not a single valuable was salvaged.
According to the BFP, the wood partitions of the stalls were thin and construction materials sold by other stores that were highly flammable made the fire spread fast. It was also learned that several stalls were selling firecrackers and pyrotechnics.
Fire Insp. Steven Malegro, chief of the BFP in the area, said they have yet to uncover the cause of the fire.
At least P5 million worth of property was damaged in the blaze.
Mayor Butch Fernadez said the provincial government has prepared rice and canned goods but they will have to ensure that these will suffice for all the 80 fire victims.
Fernandez assured the victims of a relocation site for the owners of the stalls. (Dondon Dinoy)
