Why It Took Nearly 31 Hours to Put Out the Fire at Manila Central Post Office

(SPOT.ph) Putting the fire out at the Manila Central Post Office was like using a syringe to snuff out flames in a furnace, the director of Bureau of Fire Protection-National Capital Region (BFP-NCR) said Tuesday after it took them almost 31 hours to douse out the flames that started Sunday night.

Fire out was declared at 6:33 a.m. Tuesday after the blaze started at the basement of the Manila landmark hailed as an Important Cultural Property, according to GMA News and DZRH, citing BFP-Manila. At least 15 people, including 13 firefighters and two volunteers, were injured in the fire.

"Ito po ay confined space. Imaginin n'yo isang pugon na pinapatay ng syringe so talagang mahirap patayin talaga kasi 'yung init talaga n'ya ay nasa loob tapos 'pag lalapit ka pa lang po, hindi mo na kaya makalapit kahit naka-full gear ka, naka-PPE ka ay hindi talaga n'ya kaya pasukin," Nahum Tarroza, director of BFP-NCR, told DZBB in an interview.

Also read:
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Why it took 31 hours to put out the fire at the Manila Central Post Office

The fire started at 11:41 p.m. Sunday at the basement of the city's post office. A caretaker who was at the maintenance office inside the building heard something collapse, and when he went to check what it was, he saw the smoke. He and a guard then called the firefighters. Until now, authorities have still to establish what caused the fire. 

The main building was "totally burnt", with the compound's canteen some six meters away blazed as well. Some five to six service service vehicles were damaged.

"'Yung materyales sa loob ng main building, 'yan po ay yari sa mga lumang kahoy—molave, narra—kaya kakaiba rin po ang intensity at heat ng mga kahoy na ganyan. 'Yan po ay napakatibay po n'yan kaya napakalaking halaga po ang nawala sa atin."

Losses are initially estimated to be between P300 million to P500 million "pero baka tumaas pa po ito kasi kung ime-maintain po natin ang ganung klaseng materyales, antigong materyales, talagang malaki po ang halaga nun."

The injuries were caused by burns and falling debris from the third floor to the basement, where firefighters and volunteers were mopping out.

"Parang tambak talaga, parang may bundok don ng materyales na kailangan hukayin pa namin para mapatay ang apoy," he said.

Read more:
Is Manila Replacing Culture With Condos? City Mayor Puts End to Central Post Office Rumors
A Look at the Historic Manila Central Post Office Before the Fire

No sprinklers, fire detection and alarm system at the Manila Central Post Office

The three-storey neoclassical-style building has no fire detection and alarm system (FDAS) and sprinklers as it wasn't required yet to comply with the Fire Code of the Philippines, Tarrazo said.

"Ito po naman ay three-storey building na lumalabas at ito ay may kalumaan so hindi pa naman sila required na ganun kaya lang, kasama ito sa mga iimbestigahan namin pati ang fire protection equipment nila."

Also read: What to Do After a Heritage Structure Catches Fire? Escuela Taller Explains