EDITORIAL - Raging fire

In one of the country’s busiest, most crowded commercial districts, fire continued to consume a multistory shopping area yesterday. The fire at the Divisoria Mall broke out early Thursday, and the building is expected to continue burning until Monday, according to firefighters.

It is fortunate that the shops were closed when the fire started. Firefighters also managed to rescue the building security guard and maintenance worker who were trapped; both suffered only from mild smoke inhalation. Firefighters also prevented the fire from spreading around the mall, which is surrounded by shops housed mostly in structures partly made of wood. Some of the streets in this district are so narrow even small fire trucks cannot pass. The Divisoria commercial district is a tinderbox. Firefighters should review their response in case fire breaks out in the area on a normal weekday when there is barely room to walk along the crowded streets.

The raging fire should also prompt a review of the state’s capability to respond to fires in multi-story buildings. The Divisoria Mall is an old structure with only six stories, and yet firefighters cannot penetrate the floors to quickly end the blaze. What happens if a major fire hits one of the many newer high-rises elsewhere in Metro Manila?

Previous fires have shown that Philippine firefighters lack those extra-long retractable ladders, extra-long hoses to reach high floors, and even the heavy tools needed to smash window grilles. The lack of fireproof clothing and other protective gear also prevents firefighters from wading into a conflagration to save trapped persons.

The Fire Prevention Month of March is over, but it’s always a good time to assess firefighting capability. Fires destroy neighborhoods even during the typhoon season. The fire in Divisoria should lead to a review of firefighting capability especially in the country’s most crowded communities. There is no lack of courage or determination to save lives among firefighters, but they need the right equipment to do their job.