CEBU, Philippines - An estimated P1.1 million worth of properties went up in smoke when a fire gutted down the two-storey administration building of the Norkis Trading Company on A.S Fortuna St., Bakilid, Mandaue City early morning yesterday.
SFO1 Wilfredo Romero said they received the fire alarm from building security guard Danny Balaba at 3:18 a.m. The fire was placed under control at 4:07 a.m.
Initial investigation by the Bureau of Fire protection in Mandaue stated that the blaze started at the accounting office and quickly spread to the other offices engulfing the entire administration building in just few minutes.
The building is owned by the Quisumbing family.
Romero said that right after they received the call, they immediately dispatched five firetrucks to the scene but the fire was already big when they arrived even if the building was made of concrete materials.
Fire investigators are still trying to ascertain what caused the fire.
FO1 Cipriano Codilla said that they will be calling in the security guards who were on duty the time the fire started as part of their on-going investigation. The guards will be asked on other things they noticed prior to fire, he said.
No fatality or injury was reported in the incident. — AJ de la Torre/WAB (THE FREEMAN)