By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY — A 12-hour fire destroyed almost half of the public market of Kalibo, the capital town of Aklan, Sunday.
(An aerial photo shows the extent of the fire that hit the public market of Kalibo town, Aklan province. (Lyn Paul Magno)
“This is a major incident,” said Senior Inspector Sidgie Gerardo, Kalibo fire marshall.
In a phone interview with Manila Bulletin Sunday, Gerardo said the exact extent of the fire could not be determined yet because post-clearing operations were still ongoing.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) declared the fire out around 11:30 a.m.
“We are still assessing the damage and we are still coordinating with stall owners,” Gerardo said.
But based on initial investigation, the fire started at the meat and vegetable section of the market and quickly spread to other stalls.
BFP units from the towns of Altavas, Balete, Buruanga, Ibajay, Libacao, Malay, Numancia helped put out the fire.
Volunteer fire trucks as well as fire trucks from Capiz province also responded.