Poor ventilation hinders firefighting efforts at Manila warehouse

Poor ventilation in the candy warehouse at the corner of Bambang Street and Abad Santos Avenue in Manila made it difficult for responding firemen to extinguish the fire.

The fire broke out in Warehouse 1 of MM Lucky Multisales Warehouse on Tuesday, which stores candies and its packages.

It was declared under first alarm by 11:36 a.m. and was elevated to second alarm five minutes later by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Around 2:52 p.m., the fire was declared under control and eventually out by 3:11 p.m.

Fire Senior Inspector Alejandro Ramos, Chief Investigator of Manila BFP, shared that the warehouse's poor ventilation made it difficult for smoke to escape.

“The smoke was extremely thick and dense, so we couldn't move to the focal points. We needed to wear medical apparatus to operate properly,” Ramos said.

During the incident, an unusual smell emanated from the warehouse, which Ramos attributed to the smoke trapped in the area.

Two firemen were injured: one suffered a minor laceration on his right arm, while the other fell from a height of three meters during the firefighting operation and was immediately brought to Chinese General Hospital.

Johnson To, the owner of the warehouse, said the facility is equipped with fire hydrants and fire extinguishers and is up to date with the Fire Safety Code. He also emphasized the strict implementation of a “No Smoking” policy for workers inside the warehouse.

The origin of the fire is still under investigation, and arson investigators estimate the damage at around P8 million.