Baclaran mall fire reaches the 30 hour mark!

[Zeus]

Baclaran mall on verge of collapse

[SIZE=2]The Galleria Baclaran Shopping Mall in Parañaque City is on the verge of collapse after fire gutted the building for more than 24 hours.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Superintendent Sofia Mendoza, Southern Fire Department chief, said she could not order firefigters to enter the burning building because the structure has started to weaken and might collapse anytime because of the blaze.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]As of 11 a.m. fire continued to raze the second and third floors of the building, which are filled with shoes and other rubber products. Arson officials said the fire has destroyed an estimated P90 million worth of property. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Earlier reports said the firefighters cannot enter the building because of the lack of equipment including ladders and special fireproof gear.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The fire at the 5,000-square-meter mall near the Light Rail Transit main station started around 5 a.m. Thursday. Arson officials raised the second alarm at 6:05 a.m.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Flames spread toward the building's second floor, raising fears that the blaze could reach the LRT station. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]A Task Force Echo alert was declared at 4 p.m., prompting firetrucks from all over Metro Manila to respond to the incident. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Mendoza said that based on initial reports from the field, the fire started from the middle portion of the ground floor. She said they have yet to determine the origin of the fire.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]There were earlier reports that one of the building's blower fans might have overheated and caused the blaze.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Mendoza said an inquiry will be conducted by the Bureau of Fire Protection to identify the liability of the first ground commander who responded to the Baclaran mall fire.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The Air Force's 505th Helicopter Wing was also forced to send a UH-1H Huey chopper with a Bambi bucket to help put out the blaze.[/SIZE]

Source: ABS CBN News.com
Jan.04, 2008

First time ko nakita dito sa atin na tumutulong ang helicopter sa pagbuhos ng tubig sa sunog

[joeverzosa]

Earlier reports said the firefighters cannot enter the building because of the lack of equipment including ladders and special fireproof gear.

That is just unacceptable. Somebody should be held liable for that.

[mazingerZ]

medyo pangit at dilapidated na rin kasi na mall ang galleria. My father and I used to eat at the Jollibee immediately pagbaba sa LRT station dyan. Sayang na place.

[v22]

Earlier reports said the firefighters cannot enter the building because of the lack of equipment including ladders and special fireproof gear.

That is just unacceptable. Somebody should be held liable for that.

If they are those fire volunteers, which always happens to be the first ones on the scene.. always!, are the one's lacking gears, we cannot blame them.. we should be thankful for any amount of participation they provide.. these guys rely on donations given by the community.

On the other hand...Government fire fighters suck! the only thing they're good at is selling fire extinguishers... ;D

[pup2]

Isn't this one of the longest and biggest fires in recent memory? Bakit kaya nagkaganun talaga? Wala bang sprinklers yung mall???

[suv]

Malabong Chinese volunteer mga yun......

Complete sa gamit ang chinese volunteer fire brigade....Maganda pa training...

Ang mga AMPAW yung sa government.....

[shadow]

remember gustong ipa-ban ni bayani fernando ang mga fire volunteers? hehehe ano kayang mangyayari sa metro manila pag meron sunog???

just saw the news tonight and maraming nagrereklamo sa mga gov't fire fighters natin doon sa baclaran fire, dahil humihingi muna sila ng bayad before nila bugahan yun mga stalls na nasusunog....

[boybi]

Bakit yung nasa Inquirer kahapon, 10hrs lang daw yung tinagal ng fire?

[CVT]

just saw the news tonight and maraming nagrereklamo sa mga gov't fire fighters natin doon sa baclaran fire, dahil humihingi muna sila ng bayad before nila bugahan yun mga stalls na nasusunog....

Iyan ang masaklap.... At, katulad ng ibang anomalya ng iba pang pampublikong serbisyo ng gobyerno, alam ng lahat ng tao,- pero hindi ito alam ng mga nagpapalakad....

Mga walang pakinabang,- tax namin ang sinusweldo ninyo!

5000:boom:

[Zeus]

DILG wants Baclaran fire report in 48 hrs

[SIZE=2]Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno on Monday gave Bureau of Fire Protection officials 48 hours to come out with a report on the fire that hit a shopping mall in Baclaran, Pasay City.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Puno said BFP officials and local fire marshals should report to him the results of the investigation on the January 3 blaze at the Galleria Baclaran shopping mall. He also reprimanded BFP and Pasay fire department officials during a meeting Monday. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Puno castigated the officials amid allegations that firefighters tried to extort money from stall owners during the blaze. He said BFP officials should explain to the public how firemen operate to dismiss suspicions that they receive bribes to prioritize other areas that could be affected by fires. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Senior Inspector Junito Maslang, fire ground commander, has denied the allegations. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Earlier, Corpus ordered the BFP to file necessary charges against the management of Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) for being uncooperative during the fire fighting operation.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]“So apparently hindi rin nila alam ang purpose ng fire hydrant and a government agency at that. Di sila nagko-cooperate (So apparently they do not know the purpose of the fire hydrant and a government agency at that. They did not cooperate),” Corpus said during Monday's briefing with BFP officials regarding the fire at the Baclaran shopping mall.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The mall fire lasted for more than a day before firefighters put out the flames.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Corpus said the BFP should also study the filing of charges against fire volunteers for overstepping their authority in putting out the fire. “The BFP has the authority so [volunteer firefighters] should give all the support to them. They should not act by themselves,” Corpus said. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]During the meeting, the DILG official recommended the creation of an armed task force to keep volunteer firefighters in check.[/SIZE]

source: ABS CBN News.com
Jan.07, 2008

Nagsisihan at nagtuturuan na ang BFP...gagawa pa raw ng armed task force to keep volunteer firefighters in check