Firefighters scramble in Manila

Two successive fires hit Manila yesterday throwing frantic firefighters in a mad dash for fire control in just a matter of minutes.

First to occur was a fire alarm at the Unciano Hospital along Guadalcanal street in Sta. Mesa, Manila at around 11:30 a.m. Firefighters were quick to respond that the fire, which reportedly started in a staff closet, was immediately extinguished.

Though the fire failed to progress, several firetrucks responded to the second alarm. The hospital staff was also quick to evacuate the patients.

Returning firefighters had not yet removed their coats and boots when another alarm was flashed on a fire at a lumberyard in Tondo, Manila.

Senior Fire Officer 1 Gaudencio Magallanes, arson investigator, said the fire hit Alaska Lumber located at 604 Rajah Bago street in Tondo.

The fire, which broke out at 2:16 p.m., reached the second alarm.

It was at 2:52 p.m. when firefighters were able to control the blaze.

It was finally put out at 3:40 p.m.

"We are still determining the cause of the fire. So far, all we know is that it started at the quarters of the workers. We have already invited them over to the fire station for further investigation," Magallanes said.

The fire officer said they had difficulty in putting out the blaze because there was saw dust scattered everywhere.

"We could not pull out immediately because we had to make sure that there were no remaining embers from the saw dust that could rekindle the fire. We had to really hose down the area with water," he added.

About eight fire trucks from the Manila City Fire Department and 20 volunteer trucks responded to the fire.