Fire out after 82 hrs, but mall tenants still fiery

The monster blaze was finally tamed after 82 hours—but not the fiery temper of those who saw their livelihood go up in smoke.

Firefighters called it out at 7 a.m. Tuesday after almost four days of battling the flames that gutted Ever Gotesco Grand Central Mall in Caloocan City starting Friday night.

Amid the smoke and debris, however, authorities had to contend next with angry mall tenants who were still being prevented from entering the establishment to retrieve anything they could from their stores.

Local officials led by Mayor Enrico Echiverri and representatives of the Department of the Interior and Local Government had to be at the scene to appease the merchants, many of whom gathered in front of the ruined complex as early as 7 a.m.

Reached at around 5 p.m., however, fire and security officials said they would still need a go-signal from the higherups before they could let anyone in due to the continuing mop-up operations.

SFO2 Roel Dacanay explained that before any civilian is allowed inside, a written order should be signed by the city fire marshal, Supt. Oscar de Asis, and then turned over to the Ever Gotesco building management.

“There’s a procedure there. We have to wait for that first. This is for safety purposes,” Dacanay explained.

De Asis said 90 percent of the building was destroyed and the cost of the damage could reach up to P700 million.

The worst-hit sections were the parking area and the movie houses on the fifth floor, he noted.

De Asis deferred comment when asked if the mall management would be held liable for violation of the Fire Code, saying a full investigation was still underway.

He noted, though, that the mall’s sprinkler system functioned properly and that the establishment had its own set of firefighting equipment.

Authorities have yet to pinpoint the cause of the fire, which was initially reported to have started from the ceiling of a Rusty Lopez shoe store on the ground floor.

Also on Tuesday, the city government said it was considering the setup of a temporary relocation area for residents living behind the mall on P. Jacinto Street.

This was after investigators discovered that a cracked wall at the back of the mall was already leaning precariously toward the residential area.

Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo on Tuesday launched a probe into the fire, one of the worst in Metro Manila in recent memory, which ironically hit during Fire Prevention Month. Robredo wants a report within 45 days.