Fires hit QC warehouse, textile mill

Amid heavy rains and floods caused by typhoon “Frank,” two commercial establishments were destroyed by fire in separate incidents in Quezon City yesterday afternoon.

The two establishments were a storage warehouse of forwarding company Kingspoint Express and Logistics in Kingspoint Subdivision, Novaliches and Justex Textile Mills on Kaingin Road in Barangay Apolonio Samson.

The warehouse fire destroyed boxes of “pasalubong” or gifts sent from abroad, which the forwarding company had been set to deliver locally. Businesswoman Mary Ann Koh owned the warehouse.

The damage could reach at least P3 million, according to Fire Superintendent Romeo Rillo.

Rillo said about 80 percent of the single-story warehouse was destroyed while a nearby two-story residence, occupied by Koh, was also partially damaged.

He said the fire broke out at 3:07 p.m. and was marked by an explosion after the electricity suddenly resumed after the power outage in the morning. The fire reached fifth alarm at 3:13 p.m. As of 6 p.m. yesterday, firefighters have yet to put out the blaze.

Despite the rains, Rillo said fire fighters had difficulty putting out the blaze due to the chemicals stored in the warehouse.

“Plus there was the thick smoke that engulfed the area and there was also little ventilation,” Rillo told The STAR in an interview.  

At 1:52 p.m. yesterday, another fire broke out at the second floor of Justex Textile Mills in Barangay Apolonio Samson. The textile mill is owned by Peter Goliangco.

Senior Fire Officer 2 Virgilio Agpaoa said damages at the said textile factory amounted to “millions of pesos.”

He said around 75 percent of the two-story structure was destroyed by the fire. According to Agpaoa, there were no reported casualties or injuries since the employees had been sent out after the power interruption.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, Agpaoa told The STAR.

Despite the heavy rains, Agpaoa admitted that fire fighters had difficulty putting out the fire due to small alleys that they had to pass through to get to the site of the burning textile factory. The fire reached fifth alarm at 2:05 p.m. before it was put under control at 3:45.