CEBU, Philippines - The heavy traffic was blamed for the slow response of the city fire department on the fire that hit a computer display center and warehouse in corner Molave and Escario Sts., Barangay Camputhaw, Cebu City yesterday afternoon.
Fire personnel said the damage could have been lesser if the streets were not crowded and had their firetrucks arrived to the fire scene immediately.
The fire department initially pegged the damage between P200,000 to P300,000 but Glorife Diama, company account staff of VGM Computer Systems said that if all of the things burned are to be accounted, the damage could reach as much as P20 million.
Mon Diaz, a computer technician of the company, said that before the fire broke out at 3:25 p.m., they heard a big blast followed by dark smoke. The smoke prompted them to call the fire department for assistance.
SFO2 Roilen Maratas, fire investigator, said that the fire was placed under control 25 minutes after.
He blamed the traffic jam for their delayed arrival to the fire scene.
Maratas said the damage on the one storey-building owned by Kellexo Chua, who is reportedly abroad, is estimated at P200,000 to P300,000.
He said the cause of the fire is still under investigation but initially, he said, they believe that electrical misuse triggered the incident.
The VGM Computer Systems has only one branch in Cebu City. Their main branch is in Luzon.
Diama said that there are three families living in the building but the occupants including children were able to get outside when the fire broke out.
She said the company has nine staff and four on job training personnel who were able to go out of the building before the fire spread.
Firetrucks that are being used to help in the cleanup drive in removing campaign posters and other election paraphernalia were the first to arrive since they are near the fire scene.
The fourth and fifth floors of the unfinished hotel at the back of the building were also affected.
Engr. Venus Mangsaca, of Sunsky Development Inc. said that their air conditioning units and paint have been affected due to the heat but added it was only minimal damage. —