A WAREHOUSE owned by Loreto “Loloy” Chu at Lilia Avenue, Cogon district here in Ormoc City went up in flames early morning of Sunday, and with it an estimated P10-million worth of sugar, corn, rice and two trucks.
The fire is the second in the city for this year, and the first within the Chinese New Year that the owners and the rest of the Fil-Chinese community here celebrated just the night before.
Fire officer Ruel Wenceslao said that they received the fire alarm at 5:30 dawn of Valentine’s Day. By then, the fire, which was contained inside the bodega, had almost gutted all its insides.
Residents of the next-door neighboring house of city councilor Fernando Parilla said they noticed flames coming out of the bodega by dawn already. They started packing up their things, fearful that the bodega would explode with the fertilizers inside.
On the other side also is the Shell Station owned by Ernesto B. Rizarri.
Fire officer Wenceslao added that they suspect the fire had started much more earlier, except that it was only noticed by neighbors by dawn. Firemen from Isabel, Kananga, and Albuera aided in the firefighting. He also suspects faulty wiring as the cause, even as the owners reportedly said that the main electrical switch is put off on the evenings.
Around three years ago, a minor fire broke out inside the same bodega after its dryer heated up. It was immediately put out. Meanwhile, Lloyd Chu, son of the owner, said confirmed that they lost around P10-million to the fire. He added they are still trying to determine the cause, saying they are wondering what started it because they always put off the main electrical switch at night, as a sort of fire prevention measure.
On the other hand, an earlier fire incident happened within the week at the crowded Don Felipe Larrazabal area in the city.
At around 7:00 in the evening of February 8, Monday, neigbors of one Romeo Platero noticed flames coming out his house. The neighbors immediately cooperated to put out the fire, meantime they were waiting for the fire department to respond.
The neigbors said they were conscious that their houses were made of light materials and that if they left the firefighting to the fire department, their houses would also be affected.
On the other hand, the fire department complained that they had a difficult time reaching the vicinity of the fire. They had to pass through the narrow Jica River Walk which was obstructed by a parked tricycle. The tricycle had to bodily moved by the firemen and onlookers to make way for the fire trucks.
The firemen also had to put together five lengths of hoses as it was impassable for their truck to reach the burning house.
It was suspected that the house owner left a lighted candle inside the house and forgot about it when he went for a walk. Platero, on the other hand, debunked the suspicion saying he had not returned to his house yet that day. By Paul Libres
Chulliante’s warehouse goes up in flames
