Fire leaves P1.4M damage in San Francisco market

CEBU, Philippines - An early morning fire gutted at least seven stalls and a bakery at the public market of San Francisco town in Camotes Island Saturday leaving an estimated P1.4 million in damage to properties.

  Fire Officer 3 Wilfredo Literatus, investigator, said the fire broke out at 2:50 a.m. and was declared under control at 3:20 a.m. or almost an hour after the firefighters responded to the alarm.

Literatus said the fire started at the ceiling of the Pleños Bakeshop owned by Ramelito Pleños and quickly spread to the nearby stalls owned by Sylvia Pleños, Benita Lawas, Ganelita Daños, Wilson Pleños and Emerita Andrade.

The fire investigator believes that an electrical short circuit may have caused the blaze.

“Sa pagkabuntag na sir among gisusi sa electrician kay siya may nag-wiring ana. Ang ilang linya sa kuryenti daghan kaayong extension, dako kaayo og load sa kuryenti ang nakaon,” Literatus said.

A couple who serves as caretaker of the bakery told the investigator that they tried to put out the fire by pouring water into it. But the fire grew bigger instead and spread to the nearby structures.

The couple, instead of immediately calling the fire department, went on to save their belongings.

Literatus said they had difficulty penetrating because the stalls were all padlocked.

“Ang wall man gud ana sir dili diritso sa taas kutob lang sa kisame, nya ang kayo diha man agi sa kisami dali ra kaayo mikatay sa mga stall,” the investigator said.

Most of the stalls were closed preventing the water from penetrating into the ceiling where the fire started.

The firefighters have to destroy the roll up doors first before they could start pumping water. Except for the property damage, there was no reported casualty or injury. (FREEMAN)