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Thursday, August 14, 2008
60-hour fire in Baclaran ends
MANILA -- After raging for more than 60 hours, a fire that hit an establishment housing several dry goods stores in Baclaran, Pasay City was finally put off Wednesday morning, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said.
Firefighters, however, were still conducting "clearing operations" to mop up any "pocket" of fires to prevent them from being rekindled like the fire incident two weeks ago that also hit a commercial establishment not far from the area, said Pasay Fire Marshal Juanito Maslang.
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Initially, authorities put the situation under control at past 10 p.m. Tuesday.
The fire at the FB Harrison Megaplex Terminal 3, located near the Baclaran-Light Rail Transit (LRT) station, started at 7:35 p.m. last Sunday and razed several stalls selling items including food and clothing.
Firefighters who responded to the site encountered difficulties putting out the blaze due to the thick smoke that blanketed the area.
"The smoke was so thick that we had to destroy the windows to get in the establishment," fireman Renato Recto of the Pasay Fire Department said.
According to him, the fumes were caused by flammable items at the ground floor, such as ready-to-wear clothes, rubber sandals and shoes.
The fire reached Task Force Foxtrot, the six in the seventh step alert level for fire incidents.
Recto said about 35 fire trucks responded to the scene including units from volunteer fire brigades from the city and neighboring stations.
The BFP placed the damage in property at P20 million even as investigations are still continuing to determine the cause of the fire.
LRT administrator Mel Robles meanwhile said the Baclaran station was able to resume operation at past 7 p.m. Tuesday, 48 hours after the blaze started.
Robles said the reopening was a welcome development especially for thousands of commuters who use the facility daily.
"We welcomed this development since today is Wednesday and we expect thousands of devotees to use the LRT in going to the Redemptorist Church here," he said.
Earlier, the LRT administration raised concerns about the effects of such incidents to revenues and to the rail system itself.
The fire has forced the LRT administration to suspend its operations in the area.
This cost them P400,000 in revenues. A week before, they have lost an estimated P700,000 in revenues due to a fire near the LRT station in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
Sunday's fire was the second in Pasay since June 17 when a 17-hour blaze gutted the Wellcom Plaza building along Taft Avenue near the LRT-Libertad station.
The following day, the fire rekindled and burned down at least 30 houses at the back of the building.
On January 3, a fire razed to the ground the Baclaran Galleria shopping mall, which took firefighters more than 10 hours to put out. Damage in property was estimated at P30 million, excluding the LRT's loss income that resulted from the closure of its several stations. (AH/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete. (August 14, 2008 issue)
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