Generator May Have Caused Kidapawan Mall Fire—Group

KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato, Philippines—The fire that gutted one of the city's largest commercial centers during a power outage on Monday morning appeared to have started at the mall's generator set, as indicated by the initial result of the investigation of the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) here.

But City Fire Marshal Darwin Custodio said on Tuesday the investigation was continuing and that the exact cause of the fire, in which six fire volunteers were injured, had not been established yet.

"Our arson investigators are still consolidating the results of their investigation," he said.

Dyan Gonzales, one of the workers of the Kidapawan Megacenter Corp. (KMCC) mall, said power went out past 10 a.m., which prompted the management to have the generator switched on.

Gonzales said shortly after power was restored, they heard an explosion from the second floor of the three-story mall, where the generator set was located.

She said she and her co-workers checked the area where the generator was located and were taken aback when they saw thick smoke billowing from the equipment.

Gonzales said they immediately sought help because the generator set was near an area where highly combustible materials such as cooking oil were being stored.

Custodio said the fire quickly spread to nearby areas and gutted other structures.

He said the fire was so huge they declared a general alarm.

Fire engines from other areas of North Cotabato and neighboring provinces such as Davao del Sur and Maguindanao also came to help, he said.

The blaze was eventually put under control after about six hours.

Other structures razed were the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. building and an appliance store.

Custodio said the exact damage was still being assessed.

"As of this time we cannot determine yet the exact damage caused by the fire," he said.

For the more than 500 workers of the mall, the fire would eventually lead to the loss of their jobs.

One of them, Joan Brillantes, said it would be difficult for her to immediately find a new job.

"My work as food attendant at the mall helped sustain the basic needs of my family, including the schooling of my children," Brillantes, a native of Bukidnon, said.

Source: Inquirer.net