The fire that hit a portion of an unfinished 12-storey building inside Megaworld’s Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao district, Iloilo City on Saturday, Nov. 4, left more than half a million pesos worth of damage.
Fire Chief Superintendent Melanie Habawel, the fire marshal of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in the city, said the fire incurred an estimated damage of P550,000.
The blaze broke out at 6:09 p.m. on the 11th floor of the high-rise building. It was declared under control as of 8:17 a.m. and was put out by 8:39 p.m.
The BFP is looking at two possible causes behind the fire — a discarded cigarette or faulty electrical wiring.
According to Habawel, the lack of ladder trucks prevented firefighters from immediately putting out the fire.
“Although our firefighters are trained for these scenarios, the unavailability of a ladder truck was a clear disadvantage,” she said.
In a press conference on Monday, Nov. 6, City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said he already sought the help of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. to address the problem.
“We could have done better if we had a ladder capable of reaching 20 floors.,” he said.IMT
