AT least P2.5 million worth of property was destroyed after fire razed two warehouses in barangay Looc, Mandaue City.
It took nine hours and five minutes before firefighters were able to contain the fire which broke out 11 p.m. Tuesday night.
The warehouses of Cebu Furnitec Marketing and Airlift Asia contained flammable chemicals such as paints, thinners and lubricants that made it hard for firefighters to immediately put out the fire, said FO3 Roy Garcia, arson investigator of the Bureau of Fire Protection.
The two warehouses were built on a 2,000-square meter lot in Mabini Street owned by Francisco Yang.
The warehouses’ caretaker, a certain Jojo, said he saw a spark coming from an electric meter before the upper floor of Cebu Furnitec went ablaze.
A firewall, about 20 feet tall, prevented the fire from spreading to residential houses beside the warehouses.
Extreme heat caused the firewall to collapse.
Fortunately, the firewall collapsed toward the warehouses and did not fall on some houses, said Garcia.
The fire rekindled around 6 a.m. yesterdaybut firefighters were able to put it out immediately, said Garcia./CORRESPONDENT JUCELL MARIE P. CUYOS