100,000 chickens burn in Toledo fire

CEBU, Philippines - An owner of a poultry business lost close to 100,000 chickens in a fire that gutted a poultry house in Barangay Magdugo, Toledo City at past 3 a.m. yesterday.

The Toledo City Fire Station pegged the damage at P10 million as the whole poultry house, which was about one kilometer wide, was eaten up by the blaze.

Senior Fire Officer 2 Constancio Alco-ver, Jr. of Toledo City Fire Station said they received the report about the fire from Rosvella Climaco, the owner of the poultry house.

Alcover said they responded to the area and witnessed the fire already eating up the whole poultry house. The fire, he said, started at the center of the “high-class” poultry.

The fire was huge but the firemen managed to control it in 15 minutes and totally put out the fire in an hour. They raised the fire to second alarm.

It was too late though, as all chickens inside were roasted, including the various equipment used in maintaining the poultry. The chickens, Alcover said, were raised to supply the different markets in Cebu.

Fortunately, though, the six stay-in workers of the poultry business survived the fire unscathed.

The male workers were sleeping in a room near the poultry house when one of them noticed the extreme heat, only to find that their surroundings were already on fire.

The worker immediately woke his co-workers up and all of them scampered outside and sought help. They then informed their employer.

Alcover suspected faulty electrical wiring to have triggered the fire.

They pegged the damage at P10 million considering the size of the building and the facilities used in maintaining it. Airconditioners were just one of the appliances used inside the poultry, the fire department said.     - THE FREEMAN