Fire hits offices, stalls in Tabuelan wharf

CEBU, Philippines - Four offices of cargo and shipping firms as well as six stalls were hit by a fire early morning yesterday at the wharf in Barangay Poblacion, Tabuelan town.

The fire allegedly started at the kitchenette of a certain Amelita Mangubat.

It destroyed the offices of the Tri-Star, Tricom, Aznar and arrastre firms and the stalls owned by Erlinda Arindari, Ricky Pableo, Loida Rico, Ryan Bendibel, Violeta Pekitpekit and Mangubat.

The municipal fire marshal SFO4 Noe Solon said that Emilyn Galve, a niece of Mangubat, who was cooking food to be sold and left the kitchen to go arrange some things in the dining area.

Galve went back to the kitchen and there she saw the cooking fire had already gotten so big that prompted her to shout for help.

It was windy in the wharf area at that time.

Solon suspected that fire started when embers from the cooking fire hit ignited light materials nearby. Galve had been using coal to fuel the fire.

Damaged was pegged at P415,000.

The fire was controlled around 10 minutes after firemen arrived at the scene and successfully extinguished at 10:30 a.m.

No casualties were reported.

Aside from the Tabuelan Fire Station, the Tuburan Fire Station also responded to the alarm. -Ria Mae Y. Booc/BRP (THE FREEMAN)