Neighborhood shop fire surpasses 5th alarm; firefighter hurt

Firefighters responding to the fire incident which engulfed around 70 percent of Legazpi City’s SM Savemore Market on Sunday morning. Photo by PO3 Gabriel Joseph Apuli, PNP-HPG

LEGAZPI CITY – The fire which hit the SM Savemore Market at 7:25 a.m. Sunday reached the “Task Force Alpha” declaration before it was put off at 11:35 a.m. which meant the incident surpassed the fifth alarm stage, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

The fire almost destroyed the Savemore supermarket beside the Legazpi City Bus Terminal and across the street to SM City Legazpi in Bitano village here, according to Fire Chief Insp. Gary Lunas, BFP City Fire Marshall.

Lunas said initial investigation indicated that the fire started at the cold storage room of the supermarket warehouse.

Lunas in a phone interview said the fire gutted 70 percent of the market’s building.

At least 12 fire trucks from the towns of Daraga, Camalig, Sto. Domingo, Tabaco City, and the Chinese-Filipino volunteer fire trucks assisted the city’s six firefighting trucks in putting off the blaze at 11:35 a.m., Lunas said.

A firefighter, who fire officials did not identify, suffered minor injuries.

The adjacent Legazpi City Grand Bus Terminal was not affected by the fire.

Lunas said fire investigators were still probing the possible cause of the blaze.

Cost of damage is still undetermined.

Around 70 percent of the building which housed the SM Savemore Market was destroyed by fire Sunday morning. Photo by George Gio Brondial, Inquirer Southern Luzon

Around 70 percent of the building which housed the SM Savemore Market was destroyed by fire Sunday morning. Photo by George Gio Brondial, Inquirer Southern Luzon