Three fires hit Metro Manila

Three more fires hit Metro Manila in the last two days, razing a school building in Caloocan, a junk shop in Manila and an upholstery factory in Marikina.

Some P15 million in property went up in smoke in the Caloocan fire that razed the third floor of the MB Asisitio High School building in Kaunlaran Village, Dagat-Dagatan, where a fourth year high school student suffered smoke inhalation yesterday afternoon.

Caloocan City Fire Marshall, Chief Inspector Agapito Nacario, identified the student as Crizelle San Pedro, 16, who was rescued and declared safe.

Investigation showed the fire, of still undetermined cause, was noted when smoke billowed from a padlocked reading room on the third floor.

The one-hour fire reportedly reached the fifth alarm and was declared out at 2:19 p.m. Nacario said the reading room was newly constructed and has been sparingly used. Arson probers are still determining the fire’s origin.

In Sta. Ana Manila, a 15-minute fire, also of a still undetermined cause destroyed a two-story junk shop Tuesday night.

Reports reaching the Manila Fire Department said the fire struck the junk shop owned by Jimmy Ang, located at 1907 Estrada St. at about 11:59 p.m. Nobody was reported hurt or killed in the fire that started in the junk shop’s ground floor.

Responding firefighters placed the fire under control at about 12:27 a.m. and finally extinguished it at 12:47 a.m. yesterday morning. Arson investigators are still determining the cause of the fire that left at least P100,000 in damage to property.

Meanwhile, a one-hour fire hit an upholstery factory in Marikina City also yesterday, destroying property estimated at P4 million.

Arson prober SPO1 Roberto Espidillon said the fire started at the painting section of the factory located at the ground floor of the San Antonio Realty and Alps Cottage Industry Corp. at the corner of 24 J. Luna St. and Tandang Sora street in Barangay Parang at about 8:17 a.m.

The textiles and raw materials stored in the area caught fire sending startled employees scampering to different directions to fetch pails of water to douse the blaze.

However, strong winds fanned the fire to adjacent rooms made up of light materials, said Espidillon.

A number of firetrucks from the city and nearby towns and cities arrived and put the blaze under control at 9:15 a.m. Nobody was reported injured in the fire. As of press time, Espidillon could not yet establish the real cause of the fire. He said he’s still gathering evidence to forward to the PNP crime laboratory for tests.

Among the angle being eyed was the fire was started by a lighted cigarette butt, which was thrown into the pile of flammable materials stored in the painting section, said Espidillon.

Arson probers said they would invite factory owner Alfonso de Leon for questioning. – Non Alquitran, Mike Frialde, Nikko Dizon and Jerry Botial