A fire believed to have been triggered by faulty electrical wiring razed a warehouse of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Port Area, Manila on June 1.
The blaze broke out at 9:06 p.m. in Warehouse 159 where seized and abandoned articles for condemnation were stored. There were no immediate reports of casualties, BOC said in a statement.
Fire officials said the lack of fire hydrants within the area hampered firefighters trying to control the fire, which reached fifth alarm in intensity at 9:46 pm. Fifth alarm involves the district fire marshal of the Bureau of Fire Protection joining in the operations to assess the situation and decide if the alarm should be further raised to Task Force level.
Among articles damaged were non-serviceable vehicles and tires, counterfeit products such as slippers and bags, as well as ukay-ukay or used clothes, and fabrics, according to Auction and Cargo Disposal Division chief Oscar Villalba.
Enforcement and Security Service acting director Isabelo Tibayan III said the highly combustible materials stored inside the warehouse caused the fire to spread widely, while the chemicals inside exploded from the heat, damaging to the entire warehouse.
The fire was declared under control at 11:45 p.m. Customs authorities have yet to assess the cost of damage.
