Fire hits glass factory in Guadalupe

CEBU, Philippines - Firefighters rushed to a glassware factory in H. Labra St., Barangay Guadalupe Friday night after its furnace leaked and fell on raw materials.

Fire investigator FOR Emiliano Daño said they rushed to Cebu Lucky Tableware, formerly known as Visayan Glass, and prevented the leakage from melting combustible materials that would develop into a blaze.

Daño said they received the report about the leakage at 7:54 pm and controlled it in 10 minutes.

He said the furnace, which is used in melting and molding plates, glasses, and other house wares, leaked and the intensively hot materials feel into several pieces of broken glasses.

“What happened was that the molten glasses leaked and fell on raw materials,” Daño said.

The fire investigator said that if the leakage was not immediately noticed, it would spread into combustible materials and a big blaze would have occurred.

Henry Chu, owner of the two-storey factory, said the furnace melts around 30,000 tons of glasses everyday and is as hot as 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chu said they cautioned firefighters not to spray water on the furnace itself because its extreme heat would cause it to explode. The furnace itself, he said, is worth millions.

Daño said they only sprayed water on the raw materials for it to solidify and stop spreading on other combustible materials.

He said they will wait for about two days for the furnace to cool down and check the leak. Firefighters remained in the area for monitoring.

Chief Insp. William Tacaldo, Jr., the newly appointed fire marshal of Cebu City, said the fire was raised to the third alarm as all available fire trucks in Cebu City were directed to help control the fire.

Fire group volunteers also helped.     - THE FREEMAN