Baclaran fire still on; LRT resumes full operations

More than 24 hours after it started, a fire that destroyed a mall in the Baclaran area continued to smolder, even as fire officials are questioning the actions of the ground commander in the operations. Radio dzBB reported that as of 7 a.m., the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) maintained the fire at the Galleria Baclaran Shopping Mall in Pasay City was still "under control" but not yet out. Arson investigators have also placed at P90 million the estimated cost of damage to property as of 7 a.m. Friday. But the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) said the LRT Line 1 resumed full operations from Baclaran to Monumento. "Magkakaroon tayo full line operation between Monumento and Baclaran. Wala nang hassle ang ating kababayan pwede na bumiyahe nang diretso (We will have full line operation between Monumento and Baclaran. There is no more hassle, our passengers can ride the LRT)," LRTA administrator Melquiades Robles told dzBB radio at 6 a.m. Friday. The LRT was forced to cut its operations to between Monumento and Gil Puyat Avenue because of the fire that affected operations at the Baclaran and Libertad stations. District fire marshal Superintendent Sophia Mendoza said their "vigil" at the fire site will remain until they are sure the fire no longer poses a threat. But Mendoza said this early she will likely quiz the ground commander at the Pasay fire station who directed ground operations during the initial stages of the fire Thursday. She said she will ask the ground commander why the alarm level was not raised more than two hours after the fire started. She said raising the alarm would have brought in more firefighters. On the other hand, she said another problem they face is that there are no fire hydrants in the immediate area of ground zero. She said they had to get water from Pasong Tamo in Makati City. On Thursday night, firefighters continued to keep watch over the site of a 10-hour fire that destroyed the shopping mall and affected several other establishments in the Baclaran area. In June 2007, firefighters battled a 20-hour fire at a building housing the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) in Manila, but a blaze started in the building again before dawn the next day. On the other hand, the firefighters said they had to continue keeping watch against looters and kibitzers who continued to try to get near "ground zero." - GMANews.TV