Fire hits mosquito coil factory

CEBU, Philippines - An estimated P2.5 million worth of property went up in smoke after a fire hit the Phil Coil Industries Inc. along Hernan Cortes St. in Barangay Tipolo, Mandaue City, last night.

The factory manufactures Lion-Tiger Katol mosquito coils and is owned by Ramon Dakay.

The alarm was received by the Mandaue City fire department around 10:15 p.m. and declared contained 30 minutes after firemen arrived at the scene.

Residents living nearby initially panicked but later helped put out the fire before it could reach their homes. The firewall surrounding the factory also prevented the fire from spreading.

Fire investigator SFO2 Roy Garcia said that it took firefighters half an hour to contain the fire as the factory contained a lot of combustible materials. As of last night, firefighters were still keeping watch over the scene to prevent the flames from rekindling.

Garcia also said that although the cause of fire is still under investigation, his initial investigation placed the blame on faulty electrical wiring. Prior to the incident, factory workers rewired some parts of the factory as they wanted to install additional light bulbs. –(FREEMAN)