MEZ locator’s storage room catches fire

CEBU, Philippines - A fire that hit the storage room of a company based in Mactan Economic Zone-1 in Barangay Ibo, Lapu-Lapu City left over P800,000 in damages on Wednesday evening.

Officials from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority Fire District in MEZ-1 declared no worker of Lear Corporation’s Planta Gabriela was harmed during the incident.

The fire district’s officer-in-charge, Engineer Nicanor Mametes, said they received the alarm at around 9:55 p.m. Initially, they traced the fire to an electrical short circuit within the storage room.

Mametes said the room housed tools, electrical equipment and several blueprints of the firm’s engineering department. Lear Corp. is engaged in the production and importation of electronic parts and semiconductors.

Firefighters were already able to contain the fire after 10 minutes, he added.

Mametes said fire investigators have already cleared the area and that the company’s operations are now back to normal.

This is the third fire incident recorded in Lapu-Lapu City within this month alone.

Separate fires razed eight houses in Sitio Seawage, Barangay Pusok on October 24 and 23 houses in Sitio Gemelina, Barangay Poblacion on October 11. Both incidents were tagged to the use of refilled butane canisters.

Last August, a fire also destroyed five houses in Sitio Kabatuan, Barangay Maribago.  (FREEMAN)