By Diann Calucin
A late-night fire tore through a section of 999 Divisoria Mall, damaging up to 10 stalls and forcing a shutdown that left small business owners facing heavy losses on what should have been a peak Saturday of sales.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) confirmed the blaze started in a printing shop on the second floor of Building 2.
The fire broke out at around 10:13 p.m. Friday, June 26, and quickly escalated, reaching second alarm at 11:13 p.m. and third alarm by 12:14 a.m., as flames spread to adjacent stalls.
Tenants said at least eight to ten nearby stores were affected as the fire moved through the commercial space before it was contained.
Firefighters initially struggled to pinpoint the seat of the fire due to thick smoke inside the building.
Crews had to break several glass panels to ventilate the area, deploying exhaust fans and thermal scanners while working in full breathing apparatus to suppress the blaze.
Authorities warned tenants against re-entering the mall to retrieve belongings, stressing that it could hamper firefighting operations and put lives at risk.
The fire was declared out at around 11:27 a.m. Saturday.
Initial estimates placed damage to the printing shop at around P900,000, although total losses, including those from affected stalls, are still being assessed.
Building 2 of 999 remains under temporary closure as authorities continue their investigation.
For small vendors, the disruption hit hard.
“Kawawa kaming mga small business owners,” said tenant Mhay Abobo, whose stall was spared but forced to suspend operations.
