Fire hits establishment in Brgy. Pio del Pilar, Makati City

A fire broke out in an establishment in Barangay Pio del Pilar, Makati City early Sunday morning.

The affected area is a hardware shop on Washington Street corner Facundo Street, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection-National Capital Region (BFP-NCR).

The first alarm was raised at 12:34 a.m., the BFP-NCR said.

The bureau hoisted the second alarm at 12:39 a.m. 

The fire was placed under control at 2:20 a.m. and finally put out at 2:44 a.m.

There were no reports of fatalities, but nine were injured, according to BFP-NCR.

One of the trustees of the establishment, JR Balano, was injured after he was forced to jump from the rooftop.

“Pumunta kami sa rooftop. Doon na kami tumalon, maligtas lang kaming lahat,” he said in a report on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

(We went to the rooftop. That is where we jumped so we could be saved.)

According to the BFP, firefighters had to forcibly enter the establishment, which was locked during the fire.

“Ginamitan natin ng forcible entry ‘yung mga pintuan tapos eh mga bakal pa ‘yan, pero ‘yung iba, gumamit ng ladder para maka-penetrate doon sa loon,” Fire Inspector Rodolfo Aguilar said in the same report.

(We used forcible entry on the doors which were made of metal, while the others used a ladder to be able to penetrate the inside).

Those injured had difficulty breathing or sustained burns and wounds. They were given first aid by rescuers and the Philippine Red Cross. —KG/RF, GMA Integrated News