Heavy smoke, limited gear and ladders for exhausted firefighters

IT took firefighters over 12 hours to contain the mall fire .

Several skipped breakfast to respond to the early morning alarm.

Aside from a delayed start in entering the Gaisano Capital South, they had limited breathing gear for prolonged work in the smoke-filled building and inadequate ladders.

“Aso jud among kontra sa sulod. (Our main enemy inside is the smoke),” said FO1 Roger Abalos, who was bathed with sweat after emerging from the building with a 5-kilo tank on his back.

Another 14-year veteran of fire operations, FO2 Romeo Birao, said the gear lasts for 45 minutes to one hour.

“We need to get out of the mall after 30 minutes. But if you know how to hold your breath, you can last for an hour,” he said, after reaching the mall third floor.

But after several forays into the dark building, the men were exhausted and still looking.

“We can’t locate the fire,” said Birao by midafternoon.

Senior Supt. Aderson Comar, Cebu city fire marshall, said they had to wait for the smoke to be released before sending in firemen or risk suffocation.

The firemen had to work in shifts because they only had 31 breathing apparatus available (15 from Cebu City and 16 from Mandaue City.) Replenishing the oxygen tanks took 30 minutes before another batch of firemen could enter the building again. Correspondent

Ladders were also defective, prompting Comar to borrow ladders of the Cebu Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade.

The government’s ladder truck was used but after extending its length, it malfunctioned and couldn’t fold. Boom trucks from the Visayan Electric Company and Cebu City Traffic Operation Management (Citom) arrived to assist.

At first, the firefighters could not get inside the building because the smoke was so thick. The smoke became manageable past 8 a.m., allowing the firemen to get inside and fight the fire at the first and second floors.

But the fire had already spread to the upper floors, which was still difficult to penetrate because of the heavy smoke. The lack of boom ladders also hampered the fire-fighting efforts.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama closed down part of Colon Street from Osmeña Boulevard to corner Leon Kilat Street-and part of Leon Kilat Street, from Colon to Sanciangco Streets, to allow fire trucks to use the roads.

Most of the nearby shops were closed because electric power was cut off.

A McDonald’s outlet across the burning building used a generator set to continue operations but it overheated and exploded. Fire broke out but was immediately put out by the firemen who were across the street./Correspondents Rhea Ruth Rosell, Chito Aragaon and Jhunnex Napallacan