Fire hits Quezon City factory, causes ashfall in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines - A fire broke out at a cardboard factory in Barangay Bagong Bayan, Quezon City Thursday night.

The fire, which was put under control at noon yesterday, caused ash to fall not only in Quezon City but in Pasig, Makati, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Caloocan and Manila, said city fire marshal Jesus Fernandez.

Weather forecaster Manny Mendoza of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the ash is not expected to fall outside Metro Manila and most of the ash would fall within five kilometers of the fire. He said the ashfall was reported in these cities since the wind is blowing east-northeast.

However, Mendoza warned that if embers borne by the wind should fall on combustible materials, they could start another fire.

3 hurt

A volunteer firefighter and two others were injured in the fire that razed the warehouse of Lucio Yan’s Boxboard Containers Corp. on Obrero street.

Firefighter Jeffrey Reyes suffered first-degree burns on his lower lip when debris fell on him. Warehouse employee Lian Late Laho sustained a first-degree burn on his thumb and Rodora Apolonio fainted, Fernandez said.

No one was killed in the blaze and no houses were affected, but the damage caused by the fire is estimated at P7 million, he added. 

Quoting statements from warehouse employees, Fernandez said the fire started in the factory’s gluing kitchen.

He said the employees left the glue they had been cooking to take a short break at around 9 p.m. Thursday. When they returned at around 9:41 p.m., they saw a fire had broken out.

Though the fire has been contained just before 1 p.m. yesterday, the fire has not yet been put out. Fernandez said he expects the fire to last 24 more hours because the paper and corrugated cardboard were stacked several meters high in the warehouse.

Tondo blaze

Also on Thursday night, a fire broke out in Tondo, Manila, razing at least 30 houses and leaving 60 families homeless.

The blaze started at the house of Edgar Reyes along Aplaya Extension at past 10 p.m., Fire Officer 3 Oliver Sison said. 

The fire, caused by an illegal power connection, spread to around 30 houses along the Pasig River and reached fourth alarm before it was put out, he added.

Local officials allowed the fire victims to temporarily stay at the nearby A. Bautista covered court while others slept on the sidewalk of Gamban street. – With Helen Flores, Rey Galupo