Support for firefighters spreads at scene, online
Supt. Ronaldo Orbeta of the BFP 7 said that cooling and flooding methods were used to prevent the fire from rekindling inside the mall The BFP National Command is expected to take part in the investigation as the incident involved more than P50 million wo
Owners and employees of some establishments near the Metro Ayala Department Store sent free food and water to firefighters who’ve been battling the fire since late Friday night.
Others showed their support in other ways, like expressing thanks on social media sites or applauding the fire trucks as they headed back to the scene.
A four-member investigation team of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 7 will be formed today to look into the blaze that hit Metro Ayala Department Store last Friday night, destroying at least P100 million worth in properties.
Supt. Ronaldo Orbeta, BFP 7 assistant director for operations, said that the team will cover all angles, including the reported malfunction in the fire alarm system and sprinklers.
The BFP National Command, he said, will also take part in the investigation as the incident involved more than P50 million in property damage.
Investigators will interview employees who could give information about the conditions right before the fire broke out.
Orbeta said the initial investigation will be handled by investigators from Cebu City, Cebu Province and Central Visayas offices of the BFP.
Senior Supt. Samuel Tadeo, BFP 7 director, said the estimated damage is expected to rise, as his office has yet to obtain the affidavit of loss from Metro Retail Stores Group Inc.
He said the fire that hit the store was placed under control at 12:45 p.m., some 39 hours after they received the alarm at 9:45 p.m. last Friday.
The neighboring establishments were at no risk of being destroyed by flames.
Tadeo said it took them nearly 40 hours to declare the fire under control as the store had stocks of plastic materials and textiles that were highly combustible.
Orbeta, in a separate interview, said that the methods of cooling and flooding meant that their personnel directed water into the affected areas.
“Once the last embers will be extinguished, then we can declare a fire out,” Orbeta told SunStar Cebu.
Cooling and flooding methods were used to prevent the fire from rekindling inside the mall.
Although the fire was contained, Orbeta said that they have not authorized any firefighter to go inside the building.
“There’s danger and we believe that the structure might collapse. And we cannot risk the lives of our men,” Orbeta said.
He said that the objective was to prevent the fire from affecting the main Ayala mall.
“It will turn into a bigger problem. That’s why we flooded the areas connecting the Metro Ayala Department Store to the Ayala Mall so that it won’t catch fire,” Orbeta said.
Pictures of the flooded portions of the Ayala mall have circulated in the Facebook page of the BFP 7. He said that they already talked to the management regarding the firefighting measures.
Senior Insp. Paul Patrick Laude, the BFP 7’s Special Rescue Unit chief, said they went to the third floor of the mall to conduct overhauling operations, but they terminated it after realizing the whole floor was compromised by the weak cooling tower.
They have not seen flames inside the store yesterday morning, only a few scattered embers.
He said a portion of the third floor of Ayala Mall and the second floor of Metro Ayala Department Store were weak and were at risk of collapsing.
Laude further said the lower floors did not collapse.
He said their gear helped them to overcome the heat, but lack of lighting slowed down their mobility inside the smoke-darkened Metro Ayala. Nails and shelves damaged some of their hoses.
Firefighters, Laude added, had no difficulty in breathing yesterday morning.
Nagiel Bañacia, Cebu City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office head, said that no firefighters and volunteers were hurt.
He thanked the volunteers and other individuals who donated food packs and bottled water.
Firemen taking precautions as the “walling tower” or the core of the building may collapse and cause a domino effect on the other floors; this is the heaviest and is located on the 6th floor No declaration of “fire out” yet as there are still embers on the upper floors of the mall. Levels 3, 4, and 5 of the store destroyed; no damage on the first floor, while the second floor has minimal damage Main Ayala Mall is not damaged as firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading into the area Source: Fire Chief Insp. Noel Nelson Ababon, Cebu City Fire Marshall