Fire investigator Senior Fire Officer 1 Fortunato Alde said the fire broke out from a canteen at the back a two-storey residential-commercial building at around 11:12 a.m., and immediately spread to the nearby house of the caretaker of the establishment.
"The canteen and house were made of light materials, that’s why the fire quickly spread," Alde told The STAR.
At the same time, Alde said that the fire slightly affected the RCBC Savings Bank and Coffee Overdose shop located at the ground floor of the Gil Preciosa Building, owned by a certain Dr. Virgilio Tablante, and the Plaza Ibarra, an all-occasion venue, located beside the building.
According to an initial investigation, the fire was due to an electrical short-circuit, but Alde stressed that a further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause. The fire was put out at 11:31 a.m.
"The damage at the bank, coffee shop, and Plaza Ibarra were just minor. Mostly, of water damage," Alde noted. The total damage to property caused by the fire could reach at least P1 million, he said.