Fire hits Tacloban City astrodome, no casualties

A brief fire of undetermined origin hit the astrodome in Tacloban City Thursday afternoon, but the Bureau of Fire Protection said it was quickly put out.

BFP Eastern Visayas head Senior Superintendent Pablito Cordeta said the fire reached only the first alarm and was already out before 5 p.m.

"(There were) no reported casualties or injuries," Cordeta said in an interview on dzBB radio.
He also said the damage from the fire was negligible.



In a separate interview aired on GMA News TV's “State of the Nation with Jessica Soho” Thursday evening, Tacloban City fire investigator FO1 Anthony Alvin Duran said there were no occupants in the astrodome though there were some children who used to hang out in the area.

“May mga bata daw na tumatambay doon. Pero wala pong nag-oocupy doon, kasi inabandona na po ito pagkatapos ng Yolanda,” Duran said.

The astrodome, also known as the Tacloban City Convention Center, served as one of the evacuation sites for the affected residents after the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda last year.

According to the report, the fire started around 3 p.m. at the basement of the building where some costumes and props were stored. The fire was put out at 4:26 p.m. the report added.

The BFP Tacloban currently has three operational firetrucks while there are also some from volunteer fire brigades, “State of the Nation” reported.

Thursday's fire came a day after a blaze hit one of the tents at the tent city in Tacloban, killing a mother and her six children. — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News