ANTIQUE — A fire damaged a section of the Patnongon Public Market in Barangay Poblacion, Patnongon town, leaving an estimated P600,000 in property damage on Tuesday night, September 15.
The blaze broke out at around 9:09 p.m. in the frozen goods section inside an old building of the market, affecting two stalls.
According to Fire Officer 2 Freddie Web Tamba of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)–Patnongon, the totally destroyed structure was made of timber and GI sheets, covering an area of approximately 50 square meters.
Firefighters controlled the situation quickly and declared a “fire out” at 9:40 p.m. No injuries were reported.
Authorities were looking into faulty electrical wiring as a possible cause, noting that power had just been restored to the area following a brownout shortly before the fire started. Electrical lines and several power meters attached to a nearby electric post were also damaged.
The BFP–Patnongon was continuing its investigation as of press time to confirm the exact origin and cause of the fire./PN
