Bohol Sunday Post | April 12, 2009

Good Friday this year will be unforgettable to Ubay market vendors when a dawn fire razed down nearly half of the town’s public market.

Initial investigation disclosed that the fire broke out at dawn on Good Friday, April 10.

The fire has been traced to Bryan Fishing Supply which is owned by Bryan Langos.

Fire officer 1 Sercio Castilla of the Bureau of Fire Prevention provincial office said the fire alarm was received at 3:45 am.

According to initial accounts, the fire was triggered by a convenience outlet inside the store.

The fire quickly spread to adjacent stalls and gobbled up the stores in its path before helped arrived.

When it was over, a total of 22 establishments had been razed to the ground at the market located at the entrance to the town wharf.

The fire was officially placed under control at 5 am with the help of different fire trucks.

Among those that responded to the alert were the fire stations in Tubigon, Jagna, Carmen, Clarin, Valencia and Tagbilaran City as well as the fire truck owned by Marcela Farms of Alturas Supermarket Corporation based in Ubay.

The initial damage estimate in probably the biggest fire to hit the province this year was placed at P3 million.

Ubay Mayor Eutiquio Bernales told Station DyTR that the town has extended assistance to the affected vendors through the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other line agencies.

The mayor said the fire victims have temporarily sought shelter at the town gymnasium.

Bernales added that while he is saddened by the incident, he is thankful that there were no reports of death or injury.